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UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 10-K
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ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 |
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For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024 |
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TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 |
For the transition period from ______ to ______
Commission file number: 001-39712
OLEMA PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)
Delaware |
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30-0409740 |
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) |
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(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) |
780 Brannan Street
San Francisco, California 94103
(Address of principal executive offices and zip code)
Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (415) 651-3316
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
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Name of Each Exchange on Which Registered |
Common Stock, par value $0.0001 per share |
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OLMA |
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The Nasdaq Global Select Market |
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. YES ☐ NO ☒
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. YES ☐ NO ☒
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes ☒ No ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§ 232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files). YES ☒ NO ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b‑2 of the Exchange Act.
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Accelerated filer |
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Non-accelerated filer |
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Smaller reporting company |
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Emerging growth company |
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If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report. ☐
If securities are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act, indicate by check mark whether the financial statements of the registrant included in the filing reflect the correction of an error to previously issued financial statements. ☐
Indicate by check mark whether any of those error corrections are restatements that required a recovery analysis of incentive-based compensation received by any of the registrant’s executive officers during the relevant recovery period pursuant to §240.10D-1(b). ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b‑2 of the Act). YES ☐ NO ☒
The aggregate market value of common stock held by non-affiliates of the Registrant, based on the closing sales price for such stock on June 28, 2024 as reported by The Nasdaq Global Select Market, was approximately $454.3 million.
As of March 13, 2025, the number of outstanding shares of the Registrant’s common stock was 68,333,065.
DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE
Portions of the registrant’s definitive Proxy Statement for the 2024 Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to Regulation 14A not later than 120 days after the end of the fiscal year covered by this Annual Report on Form 10‑K are incorporated by reference in Part III, Items 10‑14 of this Annual Report on Form 10‑K.
OLEMA PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
2024 ANNUAL REPORT ON FORM 10‑K
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations. |
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Item 7A. |
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Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk. |
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Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure. |
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Disclosure Regarding Foreign Jurisdictions that Prevent Inspections. |
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Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters. |
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Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence. |
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Unless the context suggests otherwise, references in this Annual Report on Form 10‑K (the Annual Report), to “us,” “our,” “Olema,” “Olema Pharmaceuticals,” “we,” the “Company” and similar designations refer to Olema Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and, where appropriate, its subsidiary.
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SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This Annual Report contains forward-looking statements that involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions that, if they never materialize or prove incorrect, could cause our results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. The statements contained in this Annual Report that are not purely historical are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the Securities Act), and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the Exchange Act). Forward-looking statements are often identified by the use of words such as, but not limited to, “anticipate,” “believe,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “should,” “will,” “would” or the negative of those terms, and similar expressions that convey uncertainty of future events or outcomes to identify these forward-looking statements. Any statements contained herein that are not statements of historical facts may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements in this Annual Report include, but are not limited to, statements about:
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These statements are based on the beliefs and assumptions of our management, which are in turn based on information currently available to management. Such forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties and other important factors that could cause actual results and the timing of certain events to differ materially from future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to, those discussed in the section entitled “Risk Factors” included under Part I, Item 1A below. Furthermore, such forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this Annual Report. Except as required by law, we undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of such statements.
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RISK FACTOR SUMMARY
Investing in our common stock involves numerous risks, including the risks described in “Part I, Item 1A. Risk Factors” of this Annual Report. Below are some of these risks, any one of which could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations, and prospects.
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Part I
Item 1. Business.
Overview
Olema is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, development, and commercialization of next generation targeted therapies for breast cancer and beyond. We are advancing our pipeline of novel therapies by leveraging our deep understanding of endocrine-driven cancers, nuclear receptors, and mechanisms of acquired resistance.
Our lead product candidate, palazestrant (formerly known as OP-1250), is a novel, orally-available small molecule with dual activity as both a complete estrogen receptor (ER) antagonist (CERAN) and selective ER degrader (SERD), currently being investigated in patients with recurrent, locally advanced or metastatic ER-positive (ER+), human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative (HER2-), breast cancer. In pre-clinical models, palazestrant binds and completely blocks ER-driven transcriptional activity in both wild-type and mutant forms of metastatic ER+ breast cancer. In clinical studies across more than 400 patients, palazestrant has demonstrated strong anti-tumor activity, attractive pharmacokinetics and prolonged drug exposure, favorable tolerability, and combinability with CDK4/6 inhibitors with no significant drug-drug interaction. Based on the clinical results we have achieved to date, we are advancing palazestrant through late-stage clinical development both as a monotherapy and in combination with other targeted agents.
In November 2023, we initiated OPERA-01, our pivotal Phase 3 clinical trial of palazestrant as a monotherapy in second/third-line ER+/HER2- metastatic breast cancer. We anticipate top-line results in 2026.
In combination, we are investigating palazestrant in multiple Phase 1/2 studies with CDK4/6 inhibitors (palbociclib or ribociclib), a phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase alpha (PI3Ka) inhibitor (alpelisib), and with an mTOR inhibitor (everolimus). In March 2024, we increased the size of the ongoing Phase 1/2 clinical study of palazestrant in combination with ribociclib by an additional 15 patients to explore 90 mg of palazestrant in combination with 600 mg of ribociclib. We also initiated our Phase 1b/2 clinical study of palazestrant in combination with an mTOR inhibitor, everolimus, in the third quarter of 2024. Further, in October 2024, we presented new pre-clinical data at the EORTC-NCI-AACR Symposium on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics showing that the combination of palazestrant with both everolimus and capivasertib may be synergistic and have the potential to result in significant tumor regression.
Most recently, we presented updated results from the ongoing Phase 1b/2 clinical trial of palazestrant in combination with ribociclib in patients with ER+/HER2- advanced or metastatic breast cancer at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium (SABCS) in December 2024. These data further support our thesis that palazestrant possesses key characteristics to make it a potential backbone endocrine therapy of preference for ER+/HER2- breast cancer, while also providing the basis for a new pivotal Phase 3 clinical trial of palazestrant in combination with ribociclib in front-line ER+/HER2- metastatic breast cancer, called OPERA-02. The execution of OPERA-02 will be supported by our new clinical trial collaboration and supply agreement with Novartis Pharma AG (Novartis), which was also announced in December 2024. Under the terms of the agreement, Novartis will provide Olema with ribociclib drug supply for the OPERA-02 trial, which we expect to initiate in 2025.
Our second product candidate in clinical development, called OP-3136, is a novel, orally-available small molecule that potently and selectively inhibits KAT6, an epigenetic target that is dysregulated in breast and other cancers. We believe OP-3136 presents a potential best-in-class KAT6 inhibitor in breast and other solid tumor cancers. In October 2024, we presented new pre-clinical data at the EORTC-NCI-AACR Symposium on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics demonstrating OP-3136's robust anti-tumor activity as a single agent, as well as potential synergy and enhanced anti-tumor activity in combination with palazestrant. The Investigational New Drug (IND) application for OP-3136 was cleared by the U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in late 2024 and the Phase 1 clinical trial is now enrolling patients.
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Since our inception, we have devoted substantially all of our resources to organizing and staffing our company, research and development activities, business planning, raising capital, establishing and maintaining our intellectual property portfolio, conducting non-clinical studies and clinical trials and providing general and administrative support for these operations.
We do not have any product candidates approved for commercial sale, and we have not generated any revenue from product sales. Our ability to generate product revenue sufficient to achieve profitability, if ever, will depend on the successful development and eventual commercialization of one or more of our product candidates which we expect, if it ever occurs, will take a number of years. We also do not own or operate, and currently have no plans to establish, any manufacturing facilities. We rely, and expect to continue to rely, on third parties for the manufacture of our product candidates for non-clinical and clinical testing, as well as for commercial manufacturing if any of our product candidates obtain marketing approval. We believe that this strategy allows us to maintain a more efficient infrastructure by eliminating the need for us to invest in our own manufacturing facilities, equipment and personnel while also enabling us to focus our expertise and resources on the development of our product candidates.
Our Approach
We are committed to transforming the standard of care and improving outcomes for women living with cancer. Breast cancer represents approximately 30% of all new diagnoses of cancer in women. The American Cancer Society (ACS), estimated that in 2025 there will be approximately 319,750 new cases of invasive breast cancer diagnosed and approximately 42,680 deaths from breast cancer in the United States. Treatment decisions are based on a combination of individual patient characteristics and tumor biology, most importantly the expression of three proteins: ER, progesterone receptor (PR), and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2). Approximately 79% of all breast cancers are ER+, and approximately 70% are ER+/HER2-, highlighting the central role of the ER in driving a large majority of breast cancer. Approximately 6-10% of breast cancer patients present with metastatic disease at diagnosis and a further 20-30% of patients initially diagnosed with early-stage disease ultimately develop metastatic disease. The current five-year survival rate for patients with ER+ metastatic breast cancer is approximately 32%. Based on our internal estimates, we believe that the current global ER+/HER2- metastatic breast cancer market represents approximately $20 billion. In the U.S. and E.U., we believe the market potential for palazestrant is up to $5 billion in the second- and third-line settings and up to $10 billion in the first-line setting.
The ER is a nuclear receptor that functions as a ligand regulated transcription factor. When bound to estrogen, the ER directs the expression of genes that are essential for breast cancer cells’ survival and proliferation. For more than four decades, researchers have been developing new approaches and therapies to prevent activation of the ER pathway, thereby inhibiting the ability of the ER to drive tumor cell growth. In 1977, the first endocrine therapeutic, the anti-estrogen tamoxifen, was approved by the FDA for the treatment of breast cancer. Tamoxifen is still commonly used today but is challenged by the development of acquired drug resistance, which in some cases may be due to its partial agonist activity. In the search for a different mechanism to target the estrogen pathway, aromatase inhibitors (AIs), were developed in the 1990s to block the synthesis of estrogen and deprive the ER+ cells of its activating ligand. However, up to 50% of patients taking AIs develop arthralgia, leading to suspension of treatment in up to 15% of patients. Additionally, most patients with metastatic breast cancer have been shown to ultimately develop resistance to AIs, the most common of which is the development of a ligand-independent activating mutation in the estrogen receptor gene, ESR1. In pre-menopausal women, treatment with AIs must also be accompanied by ovarian suppression.
In 2002, fulvestrant was approved as a treatment for HR+ metastatic breast cancer patients and is typically used as a second- or third-line endocrine agent. Fulvestrant was designed to be a CERAN, and later discovered to also be a SERD, and represented a breakthrough for the field with improved outcomes for patients whose disease had progressed on prior endocrine therapy. However, fulvestrant has several limitations including its suboptimal drug exposure and route of administration as two monthly intramuscular injections.
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Despite these drawbacks, fulvestrant achieved worldwide sales of over $1.1 billion in 2019.
More recently, the field has focused on the discovery and development of oral agents that have fulvestrant’s dual mechanism of action to completely inactivate and degrade the ER. Some of these oral SERD agents are CERANs, such as palazestrant, but others have partial agonist activity despite being SERDs and thus are not CERANs. These agents can be considered selective ER modulators (SERM) SERDs. SERM/SERDs reduce the levels of the ER but they do not entirely eliminate it. Notably, naturally-occurring estrogen itself leads to ER degradation when binding the ER.
We have spent a significant amount of time designing and optimizing our lead product candidate, palazestrant. We believe that the ability to function both as a CERAN and a SERD, together with attractive pharmacokinetics and drug exposure, favorable tolerability, combinability with CDK4/6 inhibitors, and central nervous system (CNS) penetration, are important characteristics to enable the success of a next generation endocrine therapy. We believe that results from our pre-clinical and clinical studies demonstrate that palazestrant has shown properties supporting its potential to achieve these objectives, address an unmet need in the treatment of breast cancer, and improve upon standard of care.
Based on the clinical results we have achieved to date, we are advancing palazestrant through late-stage clinical development both as a monotherapy and in combination with other targeted agents. We own worldwide development and commercialization rights to palazestrant. We believe palazestrant’s oral formulation and dual mechanism of action directly address the limitations of current endocrine therapies, such as fulvestrant, aromatase inhibitors and tamoxifen, and position palazestrant as a potential endocrine therapy of choice for the treatment of ER+ breast cancers. We are also advancing OP-3136, our newest product candidate in clinical development targeting KAT6. Taken together, we believe our product candidates have the potential to represent the future of breast cancer care.
Our Strategy
Our goal is to discover, develop, and commercialize next generation targeted therapies for breast and other cancers. The key elements of our business strategy to achieve this goal include:
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As summarized in the figure below, our plan is to develop our wholly-owned lead product candidate, palazestrant, in a number of ER+ breast cancer indications, both as a monotherapy and in combination with approved targeted therapies that have shown improved outcomes with other endocrine therapies. In addition, our KAT6 program, OP-3136, entered clinical development in late 2024 with plans to explore its clinical development in combination with both fulvestrant and palazestrant.
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Figure 1. Olema product pipeline

Our Opportunity
Epidemiology and classification of breast cancer
Breast cancer is the second-most common cancer worldwide, with nearly two million new diagnoses per year. The ACS estimates 1 in 8 women in the U.S. will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer in her lifetime and that, in 2025, there will be approximately 316,950 new cases of female breast cancer and approximately 42,170 deaths in the United States, making it the second-leading cause of cancer death in women. Approximately 2,800 men are also diagnosed with breast cancer each year in the United States. Breast cancer is a heterogeneous disease which is grouped into several clinical subtypes based on the expression of three proteins: ER, PR and HER2. Both ER and PR are hormone receptors, and tumors that express either of these receptors are referred to as HR+. It is unusual for a tumor to express PR in the absence of the ER, therefore most tumors are referred to as either ER+ or ER-. Tumors that express HER2 are denoted HER2+, and tumors that do not express ER, PR or HER2 are classified as triple negative breast cancer. Approximately 79% of all breast cancers are HR+, and approximately 70% are HR+/HER2-, highlighting the central role of ER signaling in driving a large majority of breast cancer.
Treating breast cancer
Early-stage breast cancer
Breast cancer stage is determined by the size of the tumor and whether or not the cancer has spread to lymph nodes. A tumor that is confined to the breast with or without the involvement of local, ipsilateral lymph nodes is considered early-stage breast cancer. Treatment for patients with early-stage breast cancer involves two components. First, there is local treatment of the breast, chest wall, and local lymph nodes, if any, with surgery, either a lumpectomy or mastectomy, and potentially radiation. Second, based on the biology and characteristics of the tumor, patients may also be offered systemic therapy, referred to as adjuvant therapy, in order to decrease the risk of recurrence of breast cancer anywhere in the body. Systemic therapy can be given either after surgery (adjuvant), prior to surgery (neoadjuvant), or a combination of both.
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The initial standard of care for patients with early-stage ER+ breast cancer is at least five years of adjuvant endocrine therapy. The endocrine treatment options for early-stage disease are AIs, such as anastrozole, exemestane or letrozole, or an ER antagonist such as a tamoxifen. For patients diagnosed with early-stage ER+ breast cancer who undergo surgical and adjuvant/neoadjuvant treatment, the five-year survival rate is over 90%.
Metastatic breast cancer
When cancer has spread beyond local lymph nodes, either to distant lymph nodes, bones, or visceral organs, the cancer is now considered metastatic. Approximately 6-10% of breast cancer patients present with de novo metastatic disease, also referred to as stage IV disease, at initial diagnosis. In addition, approximately 30% of patients diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer will develop metastatic disease. In contrast to the goals of adjuvant therapy, treatments for metastatic disease are palliative with the desired outcome of controlling symptoms and extending survival as long as possible. The current five-year survival rate for patients with ER+ metastatic breast cancer is approximately 32%.
While there are national guidelines and recommendations for the treatment of metastatic breast cancer, the actual treatment decision is based on a combination of individual patient characteristics and tumor biology, including whether they received adjuvant therapy and, if so, how quickly the cancer recurred. There is significant overlap in the agents that are recommended, but guidelines vary in the sequence in which these agents are used. In the past five years, several new classes of targeted therapies have been approved to be used in combination with endocrine agents for the treatment of HR+/HER2‑ breast cancer. Inhibitors of CDK4/6, such as palbociclib, ribociclib and abemaciclib, used in combination with an AI or fulvestrant, led to significant increases in progression-free survival and overall survival. Everolimus, an mTOR inhibitor, was approved in 2012 for the treatment of postmenopausal women with advanced HR+/HER2- breast cancer in combination with exemestane after failure of treatment with letrozole or anastrozole. Alpelisib, a PI3Ka inhibitor, was approved in 2019 in combination with fulvestrant for the treatment of HR+/HER2‑ breast cancers that have mutations in PIK3CA. Figure 2 shows the endocrine treatment options available for ER+ metastatic breast cancer, and an example of the sequence of treatments, by agent and line of therapy.
Figure 2. Available endocrine options and example of sequential alternating of endocrine based therapy in ER+ metastatic breast cancer

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When moving a patient from one line of therapy to the next, the standard of care is to switch to an endocrine agent with a different mechanism of action depending upon last therapy, co-morbidities, and individual patient characteristics.
Metastatic breast cancer is the second most common cancer associated with brain metastases in the United States. About 10% to 15% of women with metastatic breast cancer develop brain metastases. Brain metastases present a significant challenge to systemic therapy and the primary treatment for CNS metastases is typically surgical resection, radiation, or a combination of both. Given the limited treatment options available for these patients, the prognosis remains poor, making it an area of continued, high unmet medical need. In addition, brain metastases in breast cancer patients are a major cause of morbidity, associated with progressive neurologic deficits that result in a reduced quality of life.
ER signaling in cancer
The ER is a nuclear receptor that functions as a ligand regulated transcription factor. When bound to estrogen, the ER directs the expression of genes that are essential for breast cancer cells’ survival and proliferation. The ER has three modular functional domains:
Activation of either AF1 or AF2 can drive transcription and cancer cell proliferation.
Figure 3. Growth and proliferation mechanism driving ER+ breast cancer

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Classes of endocrine therapies and their limitations
For more than four decades, researchers have been developing new approaches and therapies to prevent activation of the ER pathway, thereby inhibiting the ability of the ER to drive tumor cell growth. The two major classes of endocrine therapies are AIs and ER antagonists.
Antagonists with partial agonist activity
Although tamoxifen, the first endocrine therapy for the treatment of breast cancer, directly competes with estrogen and prevents activation of the AF2 transcription factor activation domain, it does not block AF1 activity and therefore does not completely inhibit ER function. As a consequence of this partial agonist activity, tamoxifen mimics estrogen in some circumstances and promotes proliferation. In addition, some breast cancers can develop resistance to these partial agonists by activation of upstream AF1 signaling pathways, such as mTOR, PI3K, MAPK, c-SRC, EGFR, FGFR and IGFR. Therefore, while tamoxifen is commonly used today, it is challenged by acquired drug resistance and a relatively short duration of response.
Figure 4. Partial agonists, such as tamoxifen, are unable to completely block ER activation

In search of a different mechanism to target the estrogen pathway, AIs were developed in the 1990s to block the synthesis of estrogen and deprive the ER+ tumor of its activating ligand. However, most patients with metastatic breast cancer have been shown to ultimately develop resistance to these therapies. Similar to tamoxifen, resistance to AIs, such as anastrozole, exemestane or letrozole, can develop by multiple mechanisms, including activation of the AF1 pathway and development of mutations. Mutations in ESR1 that confer estrogen-independent ER activity arise in up to 50% of patients receiving treatment with an AI in combination with a CDK4/6 inhibitor in the first-line metastatic setting.
SERDs
In the search for more potent ER antagonists, researchers focused on another class of ER drugs that were described as SERDs. This classification arose from the observation that certain ligands bind tightly to ER leading to ER degradation. The field shifted drug discovery efforts to SERDs based on the hypothesis that degrading ER would be more efficacious than inhibiting it.
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However, similar to tamoxifen, many compounds with SERD activity are not complete ER antagonists nor do they achieve complete degradation of the ER. Recent experiments conducted by us and third parties in non-clinical models of breast cancer suggest that ER degradation, as achieved by many SERDs, on its own is not sufficient to effectively treat tumors and that the ability to completely inhibit ER function is best achieved through complete antagonism.
CERANs
A CERAN is a molecule that completely blocks the ability of both AF1 and AF2 to stimulate gene transcription. CERANs inhibit activation of the AF2 transcription factor activation domain and inactivate AF1 activity by recruiting nuclear receptor corepressors of the N-CoR/ SMRT family. Previous work by one of our co-founders identified specific interactions between fulvestrant-bound ER and N-CoR and that the strength of these interactions correlated with the ability of fulvestrant-bound ER to inactivate gene transcription through the transcription factor activating domain, AF1.
Figure 5. Complete antagonists turn off AF2 and recruit N-CoR to inactivate AF1

In 2002, fulvestrant was approved as a treatment for HR+ metastatic breast cancer and is typically used as a second- or third-line endocrine agent. Fulvestrant represented a breakthrough for the field based on its dual- mechanism of action as a CERAN and SERD which led to improved efficacy outcomes for patients. However, fulvestrant, the only FDA-approved anti-estrogen lacking agonist-type effects in in vivo uterotropic assays in immature or ovariectomized mice and rats, has several limitations including:
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Our Lead Product Candidate: Palazestrant
We own worldwide development and commercialization rights to palazestrant. Our plan is to develop palazestrant for the treatment of a number of ER+ breast cancer indications, both as monotherapy and in combination with approved targeted therapies that have shown improved outcomes with other endocrine therapies.
Palazestrant is an oral small molecule clinical-stage product candidate for the treatment of endocrine-driven cancers. Palazestrant was designed by our scientific team based both on a detailed structural understanding of the ER and on known alterations to this structure induced by fulvestrant and other ER ligands. We have demonstrated in non-clinical studies that palazestrant functions both as a CERAN, inactivating both AF1 and AF2 transcriptional activation functions, and a SERD, promoting degradation of the ER. We believe palazestrant’s oral formulation and dual mechanism of action directly address the limitations of current endocrine therapies, such as fulvestrant and tamoxifen, and position palazestrant as a potential endocrine therapy of choice for the treatment of ER+ breast cancers.
In July 2022, palazestrant was granted Fast Track designation from the FDA in patients with ER+/HER2- metastatic breast cancer that has progressed following one or more lines of endocrine therapy with at least one line given in combination with a CDK4/6 inhibitor.
Our pivotal Phase 3 monotherapy trial: OPERA-01
In November 2023, we initiated our first pivotal Phase 3 trial of palazestrant, OPERA-01, which is a randomized Phase 3 trial evaluating palazestrant versus standard-of-care treatment for ER+/HER2- advanced or metastatic breast cancer. The trial is expected to enroll approximately 510 second/third-line metastatic breast cancer patients randomized one-to-one with either palazestrant or standard-of-care endocrine therapy. Key inclusion criteria for the trial include evaluable disease and prior exposure to endocrine therapy in combination with a CDK4/6 inhibitor in the advanced setting. One additional line of endocrine therapy in the advanced or metastatic setting is permitted. The trial consists of two parts: a three-arm dose selection part followed by assessment of the selected dose of palazestrant versus standard of care. Top-line results from the trial are expected in 2026.
Figure 6. OPERA-01 study design

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Phase 2 monotherapy clinical study
We presented positive Phase 2 monotherapy clinical results in an oral presentation at ESMO in October 2023. As of the data cut-off of July 7, 2023, 86 patients with recurrent, locally advanced or metastatic ER+/HER2- breast cancer were treated at the recommended Phase 2 dose (RP2D) of 120 mg. The group was heavily pretreated with 42% of patients being fourth-line or later at study entry, 65% of patients having received two or more prior lines of endocrine therapy for metastatic disease, and 31% having received prior chemotherapy. Almost all patients (97%) received prior treatment with a CDK4/6 inhibitor, and 66% received prior treatment with fulvestrant. Of 75 patients whose circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA), was assessed, 48% had activating mutations in ESR1 at baseline.
Pharmacokinetics
Palazestrant demonstrated favorable pharmacokinetics characterized by high oral bioavailability, dose proportional exposure and a long half-life of eight days, with steady-state plasma levels showing minimal peak-to-trough variability, enabling consistent inhibition of the ER for the full dosing interval.
Safety and Tolerability Profile
Treatment with palazestrant at the RP2D of 120 mg was well tolerated with no dose-limiting toxicities, and the maximum tolerated dose (MTD), was not reached. The majority of treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs), were Grade 1 or 2. Of the 86 patients treated, events of Grade 4 neutropenia were observed in six patients, occurring approximately 4–6 weeks into therapy. Of these patients, three had a dose interruption with recovery and subsequent dose reduction (two continued at 90 mg and one continued at 60 mg) without any recurrence, and three had dose discontinuation followed by recovery. All six patients had prior exposure to CDK4/6 inhibitors.
Efficacy Profile
Across all 86 patients, the median progression-free survival (PFS) was 4.6 months and the clinical benefit rate (CBR), was 40% with a 6-month PFS rate of 38%. In patients with an ESR1 mutation, the median PFS was 5.6 months and the CBR was 52% with a 6-month PFS rate of 46%. In ESR1 wild-type patients, the median PFS was 3.5 months and the CBR was 32% with a 6-month PFS rate of 35%.
In a subset analysis of 49 patients that received palazestrant as a second- or third-line therapy with or without prior chemotherapy, the median PFS was 7.2 months and the CBR was 48% across all patients with a 6-month PFS rate of 54%. In patients with an ESR1 mutation, the median PFS was 7.3 months and CBR was 59% with a 6-month PFS rate of 62%. In ESR1 wild-type patients the median PFS was 5.5 months and the CBR was 38% with a 6-month PFS rate of 44%.
Anti-tumor activity was observed in this heavily pretreated population, with 40% of patients demonstrating reduction in target lesions and evidence of activity in both ESR1 wild-type and ESR1-mutant patients. Given the advanced and heavily pretreated nature of the patients, many of these patients are expected to be resistant to monotherapy endocrine treatment.
Palazestrant Phase 1b/2 study in combination with ribociclib
In December 2023, we presented Phase 1b/2 data from our clinical study of palazastrant in combination with ribociclib at SABCS. With a data cutoff of November 1, 2023, across 19 patients who had completed at least one cycle of treatment as of the data cutoff date, the combination of up to 120 mg of palazestrant with 600 mg of ribociclib daily was well tolerated, with no safety signals or enhancement of toxicity and an overall safety profile consistent with the expected safety profile of ribociclib plus an endocrine therapy.
Palazestrant did not affect ribociclib drug exposure in patients, and ribociclib had no clinically meaningful effect on palazestrant drug exposure. There were no dose-limiting toxicities, the maximum tolerated dose was not reached, and the majority of treatment-emergent adverse events were grade 1 or 2, with no grade 4 events observed.
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Neutropenia was reversible in all patients, and the timing was generally consistent with ribociclib-related neutropenia. Findings from this study support the continued use of palazestrant at the RP2D of 120 mg in combination with 600mg of ribociclib, and enrollment of sixty patients in the dose-expansion portion of the study has been completed.
In May 2024, we presented interim results from this combination clinical trial at the ESMO Breast Cancer Annual Congress in Berlin, Germany. As of the data cut-off date of March 13, 2024, the combination of the palazestrant RP2D of 120 mg in combination with the full FDA-approved label dose of 600 mg of ribociclib was well tolerated with no new safety signals or enhancement of toxicity and palazestrant did not affect ribociclib drug exposure while ribociclib had no clinically meaningful effect on palazestrant drug exposure. Furthermore, the results for the maturing dataset showed anti-tumor activity and prolonged disease stabilization, and a CBR of 85% across 13 CBR-eligible patients. These data further supported our thesis that palazestrant possesses key characteristics to make it a potential backbone endocrine therapy of preference for ER+/HER2- breast cancer.
In December 2024, we presented updated clinical results from this study at SABCS 2024 as of a data cut-off date of November 22, 2024. Palazestrant, in combination with ribociclib, demonstrated promising clinical activity, a safety profile consistent with ribociclib and endocrine therapy, and favorable tolerability in patients with ER+/HER2- advanced or metastatic breast cancer.
Enrollment
62 patients with advanced or metastatic ER+/HER2- breast cancer were treated with palazestrant (n=56 at the RP2D of 120 mg once daily) plus ribociclib (600 mg once daily; three weeks on treatment followed by one week off treatment). The majority of participants (48 (77%)) were 2/3+ line patients; 48 (77%) patients received prior endocrine therapy for metastatic breast cancer, 46 (74%) patients received prior treatment of endocrine therapy with CDK4/6i, 12 (19%) received two prior lines of treatment with CDK4/6i, and 11 (18%) patients received chemotherapy for metastatic breast cancer. 36 (58%) patients had visceral disease; 42 (68%) patients had measurable disease at baseline. Of 60 patients whose ctDNA was assessed, 28% had activating mutations in ESR1 at baseline.
Efficacy Profile
Palazestrant combined with ribociclib showed promising clinical activity including tumor responses, prolonged disease stabilization, and progression-free survival in patients with ESR1 wild-type and ESR1 activating mutations at baseline and in those previously treated with one or two lines of CDK4/6i. Efficacy data continue to mature; 30 (48%) patients remained on treatment, and the longest duration on treatment is approximately 18 months (79 weeks) and was ongoing as of the data cutoff date of November 11, 2024. With a median follow-up of 12 months, the median PFS was not reached as of the data cutoff date. Across all patients, the 6-month PFS rate was 73%. In those who received prior treatment with a CDK4/6i plus an endocrine therapy, the 6-month PFS rate was 68%. The 6-month PFS rate in ESR1 mutant patients was 81% and in ESR1 wild-type patients it was 70%. In those who were clinical benefit rate (CBR)1-eligible, the CBR was 76% (37/49) in all patients, 81% (13/16) in patients with ESR1 mutations, and 74% (23/31) in ESR1 wild-type patients. In patients with prior CDK4/6i treatment, the CBR was 71% (25/35), 81% (13/16) in patients with ESR1 mutations, and 65% (11/17) in ESR1 wild-type patients. As of the data cutoff date, there were 11 responses (two confirmed complete responses, eight confirmed partial responses, and one unconfirmed partial response). Among 37 response-evaluable patients with measurable disease, the ORR was 27% (10/37). 60% of the 37 had a reduction in target lesion size.
Safety and Tolerability Profile
Across 62 treated patients, the combination of up to 120 mg of palazestrant with the approved dose for metastatic disease of 600 mg of ribociclib daily was well tolerated with no new safety signals or increase in toxicity. The overall safety profile was consistent with the established safety profile of ribociclib 600 mg plus an endocrine therapy. Treatment with palazestrant up to 120 mg combined with ribociclib (600 mg) was well tolerated with no dose-limiting toxicities.
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The majority of TEAEs were Grade 1 or 2, and the severity and incidence of adverse events were consistent with the expected safety profile of ribociclib plus endocrine therapy.
Pharmacokinetics
Palazestrant did not affect ribociclib drug exposure when compared with published exposure data for single-agent ribociclib. Steady-state trough values showed no clinically significant difference between the combination and single-agent palazestrant.
Conclusions
Findings from this study support the advancement of palazestrant in combination with ribociclib into clinical development for the first-line treatment of ER+/HER2- advanced or metastatic breast cancer.
In March 2025, we disclosed updated median PFS (mPFS) from this study at the TD Cowen 45th Annual Health Care Conference. As of a data cutoff date of February 18, 2025, the mPFS was 13.8 months in 56 patients treated with 120 mg of palazestrant and 600 mg of ribociclib daily. 40 of the 56 patients had received prior treatment of a CDK4/6i plus an ET; the mPFS in this population was 13.1 months.
Our pivotal Phase 3 combination trial of palazestrant in combination with ribociclib: OPERA-02
Following the entry into our new clinical trial collaboration and supply agreement with Novartis and our positive data presentation at SABCS in December 2024, we announced our intention to initiate a new pivotal Phase 3 clinical trial of palazestrant in combination with ribociclib in patients with frontline advanced or metastatic ER+/HER2- breast cancer. The trial is expected to enroll approximately 1,000 patients, half of whom will receive palazestrant plus ribociclib; the other half will receive letrozole, a standard-of-care aromatase inhibitor, plus ribociclib. The trial will enroll first-line patients who have received no prior systemic therapy for the treatment of advanced or metastatic breast cancer. Progression free survival will be the primary endpoint; overall survival is a key secondary endpoint. We expect OPERA-02 to initiate in 2025.
Figure 7. OPERA-02 study design

Palazestrant Phase 1b/2 study in combination with palbociclib
We presented Phase 1b/2 data from our clinical study of palazastrant in combination with palbociclib at SABCS on December 7, 2023. With a data cutoff of September 15, 2023, across 46 patients as of the cutoff date of September 15, 2023, the combination of palazestrant (120 mg) with palbociclib (125 mg) daily was well tolerated, with an overall safety profile consistent with the expected safety profile of palbociclib plus an endocrine therapy.
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There was no observed drug-drug interaction between palazestrant and palbociclib, and there was no induced metabolism or increase in exposure of either palbociclib or palazestrant when administered in combination. Most treatment-emergent adverse events were grade 1 or 2. Neutropenia incidence was similar to the PALOMA-3 study; it was reversible in all patients and the timing was generally consistent with the palbociclib-related neutropenia.
Tumor responses and prolonged disease stabilization were observed in this patient group, including in those previously exposed to CDK4/6 inhibitors, in both ESR1 mutant and ESR1 wild-type tumors. Partial responses were observed in seven patients, with two confirmed partial responses and five unconfirmed partial responses. The clinical benefit rate was 46% in all patients and 60% in patients with an ESR1 mutation at baseline. In patients naïve to prior CDK4/6 inhibitor treatment, the CBR was 71%. 53% of patients had any reduction in target lesion size.
Twenty-two (48%) patients remained on treatment, and efficacy data were still maturing. Findings from this study were consistent with previously reported data and support the ongoing clinical development of palazestrant in combination with CDK4/6 inhibitors for the treatment of ER+/HER2− metastatic breast cancer. Enrollment of sixty patients in the Phase 2 portion of the palazestrant-palbociclib combination clinical study is complete.
Additional palazestrant pre-clinical combination data
In October 2024, we presented new pre-clinical data at the EORTC-NCI-AACR Symposium on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics showing that the combination of palazestrant with both everolimus and capivasertib are synergistic and have the potential to result in significant tumor regression. Palazestrant and everolimus demonstrated synergy in vitro and in vivo and resulted in greater anti-proliferative activity than either agent alone; this combination also caused gene signature transcriptional changes, downregulating cell cycle progression and upregulating apoptosis. Palazestrant and capivasertib in combination worked synergistically to inhibit proliferation of multiple ER+ breast cancer models, both in vitro and in vivo.
Clinical development plan for palazestrant and additional clinical opportunities
Everolimus, an mTOR inhibitor, is a targeted therapy that is often used by oncologists in the treatment of advanced breast or other cancers. Clinical studies evaluating everolimus in combination with endocrine therapies has demonstrated clinical results that indicate a potential benefit for patients in later-line settings. In the third quarter of 2024, we initiated evaluation of palazestrant in combination with everolimus in a Phase 1b/2 clinical study. Our primary objectives are to determine the safety, tolerability, and PK profile of the combination with palazestrant, and secondarily to determine efficacy and duration of response in patients with ER+/HER2- metastatic breast cancer.
Furthermore, though we are currently evaluating palazestrant in patients with ER+/HER2- breast cancer, we believe that there is an opportunity for us to study palazestrant in patients with ER+/HER2+ breast cancer, which represents approximately 11% of breast cancer patients and more than 50% of the patients with HER2+ breast cancer. In particular, up to 50% of patients with metastatic HER2+ breast cancer develop CNS disease. We believe that combining palazestrant with HER2 targeted agents may represent an opportunity to improve upon recent advancements in the treatment of CNS disease in patients that express both ER and HER2.
While our initial studies are focused on treating breast cancer patients with metastatic disease, we believe that if palazestrant is determined to be safe and effective in this population, there is potential for it to be used in earlier stage disease. Based on our extensive non-clinical studies, including certain head-to-head studies, we believe that palazestrant could have superior PK properties and improved clinical outcomes than fulvestrant. If proven in the clinic, we believe that palazestrant has the potential to not only replace fulvestrant but to become the endocrine treatment of choice for the treatment of both advanced/metastatic ER+ breast cancer as well as ultimately in early-stage ER+ breast cancer in the adjuvant setting.
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Our Second Product Candidate: OP-3136
In October 2023, we presented new pre-clinical data regarding the discovery of novel compounds targeting KAT6, an epigenetic target that is dysregulated in breast and other cancers at the 2023 AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics. In January 2024, we nominated a development candidate for this program, OP-3136 and in late 2024, the IND application for OP-3136 was cleared by the FDA and we initiated a Phase 1 clinical trial evaluating OP-3136 in patients with ER+/HER2- metastatic breast cancer and other cancers.
In a non-clinical xenograft model, OP-3136 caused dose-dependent tumor growth inhibition and tumor regression comparable to or better than a positive-control patented KAT6 inhibitor and demonstrated synergy in combination with CDK4/6 inhibitors or palazestrant.
KAT6 is a clinically validated target and its overexpression has been shown to be correlated with worse clinical outcomes in ER+ breast cancer. KAT6 inhibition downregulates genes involved in estrogen receptor signaling and other signaling pathways.
Figure 8. Schematic of KAT6 biology and impact of OP-3136 inhibition

In KAT6-amplified and overexpressing ER+ breast cancer cell lines, OP-3136 strongly inhibited cell proliferation whereas KAT6-low cell lines were insensitive to the compounds. In a non-clinical xenograft model, OP-3136 caused dose-dependent tumor growth inhibition and tumor regression comparable to or better than a positive-control patented KAT6 inhibitor and demonstrated synergy in combination with CDK4/6 inhibitors or an endocrine therapy, palazestrant. In addition, OP-3136 demonstrated activity in both ESR1 wild-type and mutant breast cancer cell lines.
Figure 9. Impact of OP-3136 and positive control on tumor volume in a 25-day mouse xenograft model
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In October 2024, we presented compelling new pre-clinical data at the EORTC-NCI-AACR Symposium on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics demonstrating OP-3136's robust anti-tumor activity as a single agent, as well as potential synergy and enhanced anti-tumor activity in combination with palazestrant. OP-3136 inhibited cell proliferation and synergized with anti-estrogens (fulvestrant and palazestrant) and a CDK4/6 inhibitor (ribociclib) in a breast cancer cell line. OP-3136 led to either tumor growth inhibition or tumor regression in vivo in xenograft models across all treatment groups. In combination with OP-3136, palazestrant was consistently superior to fulvestrant and led to improved anti-tumor activity and tumor regression; OP-3136 also showed robust synergistic anti‑tumor activity when combined with fulvestrant or palazestrant as doublet therapy in breast cancer models.
Figure 10. OP-3136 demonstrates synergistic activity in combination

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In December 2024, we announced that the FDA cleared our IND application for OP-3136. The Phase 1 clinical trial initiated thereafter and is now enrolling patients.
Figure 11. OP-3136 Phase 1 clinical trial

Clinical Collaboration and Supply Agreement with Novartis
In July 2020, we entered into a non-exclusive Clinical Collaboration and Supply Agreement (the Novartis Agreement) with Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Inc. (Novartis). On January 13, 2022, we entered into an Amended and Restated Clinical Collaboration and Supply Agreement with Novartis, and on October 9, 2023, we entered into Amendment No. 1 (the Novartis Amendment) to Amended and Restated Clinical Collaboration and Supply Agreement with Novartis (as amended, the Novartis Agreement). The collaboration is focused on the evaluation of the safety, tolerability and efficacy of palazestrant in combination with Novartis’ proprietary CDK4/6 inhibitor KISQALI® (ribociclib) and/or Novartis’ proprietary phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase inhibitor PIQRAY® (alpelisib), or collectively the Novartis Study Drugs, as part of our planned Phase 1b clinical study of palazestrant in patients with metastatic ER+ breast cancer. The Novartis Amendment expanded the size of the ongoing ribociclib and palazestrant study cohort to a total of approximately 60 patients. In March 2024, we further amended the agreement and expanded the collaboration to explore 90mg of palazestrant in combination with ribociclib, bringing the total enrollment to approximately 75 patients. We are responsible for the conduct of the clinical studies for the combined therapies in accordance with a mutually agreed development plan. As part of the collaboration, the parties granted to each other a non-exclusive, royalty-free license under certain of the parties’ respective background patent rights and other technology to use the parties’ respective study drugs in research and development, solely to the extent reasonably needed for the other party’s activities in the collaboration. All inventions and data developed in the performance of the clinical studies for the combined therapies (other than those specific to each component study drug), are jointly owned by the parties.
We are responsible for manufacturing, packaging and labeling palazestrant, and for packaging and labeling all drugs used in the clinical studies for the combined therapies (other than the Novartis Study Drugs). Novartis is responsible for manufacturing and delivering to us the Novartis Study Drugs in such quantities as reasonably needed for the clinical studies for the combined therapies. In accordance with an agreed budget, Novartis is reimbursing us for a portion of the direct outside costs, but no more than an amount in the low single digit millions of U.S. dollars, that we incur related to conducting the activities under the agreed development plan in conducting the clinical trials for the combined therapies.
The Novartis Agreement will terminate upon completion of all activities outlined in the development plan and the relevant protocols.
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Either party may terminate the Novartis Agreement for the uncured material breach or insolvency of the other party, if it reasonably deems it necessary in order to protect the safety, health or welfare of subjects enrolled in the clinical studies for the combined therapies due to the existence of a material safety issue, or in certain circumstances for an unresolved clinical hold with respect to either the Novartis Study Drugs or palazestrant. In addition, Novartis may terminate the Novartis Agreement if certain disputes between the parties are not resolved after following the applicable dispute resolution procedures, and we may terminate the Novartis Agreement in the event we terminate all clinical studies of the combined therapies other than due to a material safety issue or upon a clinical hold.
The Novartis Agreement does not grant any right of first negotiation to participate in future clinical trials, and each of the parties retains all rights and ability to evaluate their respective compounds in any studies or clinical trials, either as a monotherapy or in combination with any other product or compound, in any therapeutic area. The parties retain their independent rights to commercialize their respective therapies both alone or with other parties.
New Clinical Trial Collaboration and Supply Agreement with Novartis
In November 2024, we entered into a Clinical Trial Collaboration and Supply Agreement (the Novartis
Pharma Agreement), with Novartis. Pursuant to the Novartis Pharma
Agreement, Novartis will provide us with ribociclib drug supply for our planned Phase 3 OPERA-02
trial of palazestrant in combination with ribociclib in ER+/HER2- frontline advanced or metastatic breast
cancer.
Under the Novartis Pharma Agreement, we will supply (including manufacturing, packaging and labeling)
palazestrant and letrozole for the OPERA-02 trial. Novartis will manufacture and supply (including
primary packaging) us with a specified amount of ribociclib, which amount is expected to be sufficient for the
OPERA-02 trial. The parties granted to each other a non-exclusive, royalty-free license under certain of the
parties’ respective background patent rights and other technology to use the parties’ respective study drugs in
research and development, solely to the extent reasonably needed for the other party’s activities in the
collaboration. Any inventions developed in the performance of the clinical studies for the combined therapies
(other than those specific to each component study drug) are jointly owned by the parties. Except as
otherwise specified, the Agreement does not grant any right of first negotiation to participate in future clinical
trials, and each party retains all rights and ability to evaluate their respective compounds in any studies or
clinical trials, either as a monotherapy or in combination with any other product or compound, in any
therapeutic area. The parties retain their independent rights to commercialize their respective therapies both
alone and with third parties.
We granted Novartis a right of first negotiation with respect to (a) the grant to any person or entity any right,
license or sublicense to exploit palazestrant, in any field or territory, other than to third party service providers,
or (b) the sale or other transfer to any person or entity of palazestrant and any related assets, each referred to herein as an Olema Compound Transaction. If we desire to or do, at any time, (a) solicit or entertain any third party proposal or indication of interest with respect to an Olema Compound Transaction, or (b) negotiate
(including in response to any proposal or indication of interest received by the Company), enter into or perform under, in each case, any written definitive agreement with a third party with respect to or that contemplates an Olema Compound Transaction, then we must provide written notice to Novartis regarding such Olema Compound Transaction, along with certain other specified information. Novartis will have 30 days after receipt of such notice to elect to enter into exclusive good faith negotiations with respect to such Olema Compound Transaction for a period of up to 120 days.
If our board of directors (or a duly authorized board committee) determines that we should pursue or explore a change of control or sale of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company (an Olema Change of Control Transaction), other than in response to an unsolicited bona fide acquisition proposal (a Proposed Sale), we must promptly notify Novartis of such determination. In the event Novartis elects to engage in negotiations with us in respect of such Proposed Sale, then from the date such notice is given until 45 days after the later of (a) the date on which the foregoing notice is given to Novartis, (b) the date on which Novartis is given notice that a data room has been populated as required by the Novartis Pharma Agreement, and (c) entry by us and Novartis into a customary nondisclosure agreement, Novartis will have the exclusive right (but no obligation) to conduct due diligence on us and our business and negotiate with us the definitive terms and conditions of the Proposed Sale.
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If the Company or its affiliates receive an unsolicited bona fide acquisition proposal from a third party, the
Company must promptly notify its board of directors (or a duly authorized board committee) of the receipt
thereof and request that they consider the merits of such acquisition proposal. If, after such consideration, the
Company’s board of directors (or authorized committee) authorizes the Company to engage in negotiations
with regard to such acquisition proposal, then the Company must notify Novartis in writing within 24 hours of
receipt of such authorization. To the extent possible in light of any confidentiality obligations, such notice must
include a summary of the key structural, non-financial terms of such acquisition proposal.
In the event of an Olema Compound Transaction or Olema Change of Control involving a third party other
than Novartis (the first to occur, a “Repayment Trigger Event”), the Company must promptly pay, or procure
the payment of, the Repayment Amount (as defined below) to Novartis. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the
Agreement is terminated as a result of certain patient safety issues, lack of product efficacy, regulatory issues
or clinical hold issues prior to the consummation of the Olema Compound Transaction or Olema Change of
Control, then the Company shall not be obligated to pay the Repayment Amount unless (a) the Olema Change of Control or Olema Compound Transaction occurs after such termination and (b) prior to the fifth anniversary of such Olema Change of Control or Olema Compound Transaction (as applicable), the Company or its affiliates (or the applicable acquirer, successor, licensee or option holder of the Company or its affiliates) enrolls a subject in any clinical study involving the combination of palazestrant and ribociclib (the Olema Combination) or submits any filing with any regulatory authority relating to the Olema Combination. The “Repayment Amount” is the proportion of approximately $275 million that is represented by the number of
units of ribociclib actually supplied to the Company under the Supply Agreement as of immediately prior to the
Repayment Trigger Event as compared to the total number of units that could be supplied under the Agreement.
The foregoing rights of first negotiation, first offer and notice and repayment obligations remain in effect until
the first to occur of: (a) the date that is 120 days after filing of the New Drug Application for the Olema
Combination, (b) one year after any expiration or termination of the Agreement, and (c) such time as the
Agreement is terminated by the Company due to Novartis’ material breach. However, in the event the
Agreement is terminated due to certain patient safety issues, lack of product efficacy, regulatory issues or
clinical hold issues prior to the consummation of an Olema Change of Control or Olema Compound
Transaction, then the Repayment Obligation shall survive until the fifth anniversary of such Olema Change of
Control or Olema Compound Transaction (as applicable) or, if payment of the Repayment Amount is required,
until the next business day after the Repayment Amount has been received by Novartis.
The Agreement will terminate on the fifth anniversary of the date on which the first dose of palazestrant is
administered to the first study subject. Either party may terminate the Agreement for the uncured material
breach or insolvency of the other party, for failure to comply with certain anti-corruption obligations, in the
event of a change of control of the other party, if it reasonably deems it necessary in order to protect the
safety, health or welfare of subjects enrolled in the clinical studies for the combined therapies due to the
existence of a material safety issue, if the parties jointly decide that the Olema Combination is not achieving
sufficiently superior levels of efficacy, if any regulatory authority action prevents a party (or the Letrozole
supplier) from supplying its product, in the event of an unresolved force majeure event, or in certain
circumstances for an unresolved clinical hold with respect to ribociclib, palazestrant or letrozole (or the
combination of ribociclib and palazestrant or ribociclib and letrozole). In addition, Novartis may terminate the
Agreement if the Company has failed to commence the OPERA-02 trial on or prior to March 31, 2026 or if the
Company consummates an Olema Compound Transaction, and the Company may terminate the Agreement
if the Company terminates the OPERA-02 trial other than due to a material safety issue, efficacy issue,
regulatory action or upon a clinical hold.
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Clinical Trial Agreement with Pfizer
In November 2020, we entered into a non-exclusive clinical trial agreement with Pfizer (the Pfizer Agreement) to evaluate the safety and tolerability of palazestrant in combination with Pfizer’s proprietary CDK4/6 inhibitor IBRANCE® (palbociclib) in patients with recurrent, locally advanced or metastatic ER+/HER2‑ breast cancer in a clinical trial. Under the terms of the non-exclusive agreement, we are responsible for conducting the clinical study for the combined therapies and Pfizer is responsible for supplying IBRANCE® to us at no cost to us. As part of the collaboration, the parties granted to each other a non-exclusive, royalty- free license under certain of the parties’ respective patent rights in the combination of IBRANCE® and palazestrant to use the parties’ respective study drugs in research and development, solely to the extent reasonably needed for the other party’s activities in the collaboration. All inventions and data developed in the performance of the clinical trials for the combined therapies (other than those specific to each component study drug), are jointly owned by the parties.
We are responsible for manufacturing, packaging and labeling palazestrant, and for packaging and labeling all drugs used in the clinical trials for the combined therapies (other than IBRANCE® (palbociclib)). Pfizer is responsible for manufacturing and delivering to us IBRANCE® (palbociclib) in such quantities as reasonably needed for the clinical studies for the combined therapies.
The Pfizer Agreement will terminate upon completion of all activities outlined in the study plan and the relevant protocols. Either party may terminate the Pfizer Agreement for the uncured material breach or insolvency of the other party, if it reasonably deems it necessary in order to protect the safety, health or welfare of subjects enrolled in the clinical studies for the combined therapies due to the existence of a material safety issue, or in certain circumstances for an unresolved clinical hold with respect to either the IBRANCE® (palbociclib) or palazestrant. In addition, either party may terminate the Pfizer Agreement if certain disputes between the parties are not resolved after following the applicable dispute resolution procedures or if either party determines to discontinue clinical development for medical, scientific, legal or other reasons.
The Pfizer Agreement does not grant any right of first negotiation to participate in future clinical studies, and each of the parties retains all rights and ability to evaluate their respective compounds.
License Agreement with Aurigene
In June 2022, we entered into an exclusive global license agreement with Aurigene, to research, develop and commercialize novel small molecule inhibitors of an undisclosed oncology target (the Aurigene Agreement).
Under the terms of the Aurigene Agreement, Aurigene will provide to us an exclusive license to its portfolio of novel small molecule inhibitors of the target. Financial terms of the Aurigene Agreement include a $8.0 million upfront payment from us for rights to a pre-existing Aurigene program and potential future milestone payments of up to $60.0 million in clinical development and regulatory milestones, and up to $370.0 million in commercial milestones. Aurigene is also eligible to receive mid-single-digit to low double-digit royalties as percentages of product sales, if any. During the research term, we will contribute funding to Aurigene to facilitate Aurigene’s ongoing discovery efforts. We and Aurigene will jointly direct further pre-clinical work and, if successful, we will lead clinical development as well as regulatory and commercial activities. We and Aurigene jointly own collaboration compounds and rights to any inventions made during the research term.
The term of the Aurigene Agreement will continue until the expiration of the last-to-expire of all payment obligations with respect to all licensed products thereunder, unless terminated earlier in accordance with the terms of the Aurigene Agreement. The Aurigene Agreement may be terminated (a) by us for convenience, in our sole discretion, upon prior written notice to Aurigene, (b) by either us or Aurigene in connection with the other party’s uncured material breach or (c) by either us or Aurigene in connection with the insolvency of the other party.
Other Licensing Agreements
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On October 17, 2024, we signed an out-license of our de-prioritized TRPM4 targeted research program to Black Shadow Therapeutics LLC in exchange for potential single-digit royalties on world-wide net sales should a product be approved by regulatory authorities.
Intellectual Property
Our success depends, in part, on our ability to obtain, maintain and protect our intellectual property and other proprietary rights for palazestrant, OP-3136 and any future product candidates and other discoveries, inventions, trade secrets and know-how that are critical to our business operations. Our success also depends in part on our ability to operate without infringing, misappropriating or otherwise violating the intellectual property and proprietary rights of others, and in part, on our ability to prevent others from infringing, misappropriating or otherwise violating our intellectual property and proprietary rights. A comprehensive discussion on risks relating to intellectual property is provided under the section titled “Risk Factors—Risks Related to Our Intellectual Property.”
Intellectual property rights relevant to pharmaceutical companies typically include a combination of patent rights, regulatory exclusivities, trademark rights, and trade secret protection. Our success depends, in part, on our ability to secure and enforce each of these types of intellectual property rights.
The patent positions of companies like ours are generally uncertain and involve complex legal and factual questions. No consistent policy regarding the scope of claims allowable in patents in the field of biotechnology has emerged in the United States and in Europe, among other countries. Changes in the patent laws and rules, either by legislation, judicial decisions, or regulatory interpretation in other countries may diminish our ability to protect our inventions and enforce our intellectual property rights, and more generally could affect the value of our intellectual property. In particular, our ability to stop third parties from making, using, selling, offering to sell, importing or otherwise commercializing any of our patented inventions, either directly or indirectly, will depend in part on our success in obtaining, defending and enforcing patent claims that cover our technology, inventions, and improvements. Regardless of the coverage we seek under our existing patent applications, there is always a risk that an alteration to the product or process may provide sufficient basis for a competitor to avoid infringement claims. In addition, the coverage claimed in a patent application can be significantly reduced before a patent is issued and courts can reinterpret patent scope after issuance. Moreover, many jurisdictions, including the United States, permit third parties to challenge issued patents in administrative proceedings, which may result in further narrowing or even cancellation of patent claims.
An issued patent provides its owner (or possibly its licensee) with a right to exclude others from making, using or selling that which is claimed in the patent, for a specified period of time (the “term” of the patent), in the jurisdiction in which the patent is issued. In the United States, and in many other countries, utility patents have a presumptive term of 20 years from their effective filing date (which is the earliest non-provisional filing date to which the patent claims priority). However, many jurisdictions, including the United States, require the payment of periodic annuities or maintenance fees for patents to remain in force for the full 20‑year term. The United States also has provisions that require a patent term to be shortened if its claims are too similar to another patent owned by the same party that has a shorter term. The term of a patent, and the protection it affords, is therefore limited and once the patent term of our issued patents has expired, we may face competition. Because of the extensive time required for clinical development and regulatory review of the drugs we develop, it is possible that, before palazestrant, OP-3136 or any future product candidates we may develop can be commercialized, any related patent may expire or remain in force for only a short period following commercialization, thereby reducing any advantage of any such patent.
The United States and certain other jurisdictions also have provisions that permit extension of patent term for patents that claim a drug or drug product, or its approved use, if the patent was issued before clinical trials and were completed and regulatory approval secured, so long as certain specific requirements were satisfied. In the United States, such extension associated with regulatory approval is called a Patent Term Extension (PTE) and it is limited to a maximum of five years, or less if the extended patent term would exceed 14 years after the date of regulatory approval. Only one patent can receive regulatory extension (e.g., PTE) per product approval.
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The United States also offers a different form of patent term extension, known as Patent Term Adjustment (PTA), whereby a particular patent’s term is automatically extended beyond the 20‑year date if the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) caused delay during its examination; however, potentially available PTA is reduced by any amount of any delay caused by the patent applicant. We may not receive an extension if we fail to exercise due diligence during the testing phase or regulatory review process, fail to apply within applicable deadlines, fail to apply prior to expiration of relevant patents or otherwise fail to satisfy applicable requirements. Moreover, the length of the extension could be less than we request. There can be no assurance that we will benefit from any patent term extension or favorable adjustment to the term of any of our patents.
A provisional patent application can establish a priority date for a patent, but only if certain deadlines and procedures are met. Specifically, a non-provisional application must be filed within 12 months of the provisional filing date, and such non-provisional filing must be made by an applicant who has properly documented its right to claim priority. Furthermore, if any changes are made to the application between the provisional and the non- provisional filings, the changed material may not be entitled to the priority filing date. Still further, in the biopharmaceutical industry, it is common for applicants to file a so-called “international” patent application under the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) as a non-provisional filing. Such an international application, often referred to as a “PCT application,” like a provisional application, cannot itself issue as a patent but rather preserves the applicant’s right to pursue patent filings in individual countries, which patent filings are referred to as “national applications” or “national phase filings” and can claim the benefit of priority to the prior PCT application (which may in turn claim priority to the prior provisional filing). For most jurisdictions, national phase applications claiming priority to a PCT application must be filed within 30 to 32 months of the PCT’s earliest priority date. If we fail to meet the deadline for filing non-provisional or national phase applications, or fail to complete all procedural requirements associated with such filings, we may lose our right to claim priority. Moreover, even if we comply with all deadlines and requirements, we may not be able to issue patents in relevant jurisdictions, and furthermore cannot predict whether any patents that might issue will provide us with any competitive advantage.
We have granted patents and pending applications relating to palazestrant, including granted claims that encompass the palazestrant compound, pharmaceutical compositions that include palazestrant, and certain methods of using palazestrant, including in treatment which may involve combination therapy. The 20-year term for these patents expires in 2036. In the United States, it is uncertain whether any PTE will be available, and if so, how much. Additional applications are pending, including ones that relate to dosing regimens and treatment of particular cancers and patient populations, and, if granted, will have 20-year terms that expire between 2040 and 2043.
We co-own with Aurigene a pending patent application related to OP-3136, which includes claims that encompass the OP-3136 compound, pharmaceutical compositions that include OP-3136, and certain methods of using OP-3136. Under the Aurigene Agreement, Aurigene has provided to us an exclusive license to Aurigene's rights in patents and applications related to OP-3136 and other KAT6 inhibitor compounds. The 20-year term for the pending patent application related to OP-3136 expires in 2044. In the United States, it is uncertain whether any PTE will be available, and if so, how much.
Certain patents related to palazestrant or OP-3136 (once granted) may be eligible for PTE in certain jurisdictions, including the United States and Europe, upon approval of a commercial use of the corresponding product by a regulatory agency in the jurisdiction where the patent was granted. However, there can be no assurance that we will receive or benefit from any PTE with respect to such patents.
In addition to patent term extension regulatory exclusivities, pharmaceutical marketing approval agencies, such as the FDA and the EMA, offer certain data exclusivities for first-approved products with a new chemical entity (NCE), exclusivity, and/or for approvals related to orphan indications (Orphan Drug designation), and/or pediatric approvals (Pediatric Exclusivity).
Furthermore, as neither palazestrant nor OP-3136 has previously been approved in the United States for any indication, each of palazestrant and OP-3136 may be eligible for five years of NCE exclusivity upon its first approval.
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Should that approval be for an orphan indication for which we have received Orphan Drug designation, the NCE and Orphan Drug exclusivity would run concurrently.
With respect to our owned intellectual property, we cannot be sure that patents will be granted with respect to any of our pending patent applications or with respect to any patent applications filed by us in the future, nor can we be sure that any current patents or any patents that may be granted to us in the future will be commercially useful in protecting palazestrant, OP-3136 or any future product candidates and the methods used to manufacture them. Moreover, any issued patents and those that may be issued in the future may not guarantee us the right to practice our technology in relation to the commercialization of palazestrant, OP-3136 or any future product candidates. Any patents and those that may issue in the future may be challenged, narrowed, circumvented or invalidated, which could limit our ability to stop competitors from marketing related product candidates or limit the length of the term of patent protection that we may have for palazestrant, OP-3136 or any future product candidates. In addition, the rights granted under any issued patents may not provide us with complete protection or competitive advantages against competitors with similar products to ours. For information regarding risks related to intellectual property, see the section titled “Risk Factors—Risks Related to Our Intellectual Property.”
We have also applied to register the “Olema,” “Olema Oncology,” “Olema Oncology and design,” and “Olema Therapeutics” trademarks with the USPTO. We do not currently own any U.S. registered trademarks for our brand or trade names. Our trademarks or trade names may be challenged, infringed, circumvented, or declared generic or determined to be infringing on other marks. We may not be able to protect our rights to these trademarks and trade names, which we need to build name recognition among potential partners or customers in our markets of interest. At times, competitors may adopt trade names or trademarks similar to ours, thereby impeding our ability to build brand identity and possibly leading to market confusion. In addition, there could be potential trade name or trademark infringement claims brought by owners of other registered trademarks or trademarks that incorporate variations of our registered or unregistered trademarks or trade names. Over the long term, if we are unable to establish name recognition based on our trademarks and trade names, then we may not be able to compete effectively, and our business may be adversely affected. Our efforts to enforce or protect our proprietary rights related to trademarks, trade secrets, domain names, copyrights or other intellectual property may be ineffective and could result in substantial costs and diversion of resources and could adversely impact our financial condition or results of operations.
In addition to patent, regulatory exclusivity, and trademark, we rely on trade secret and know-how protection to secure our proprietary position around our chemistry, technology and other discoveries and inventions that we consider important to our business.
We also seek to protect our intellectual property, including our trade secrets and know-how, in part by entering into confidentiality agreements with companies with whom we share proprietary and confidential information in the course of business discussions, and by having confidentiality terms in our agreements with our employees, consultants, scientific advisors, clinical investigators and other contractors and also by requiring our employees, commercial contractors, and certain consultants and investigators, to enter into invention assignment agreements that grant us ownership of any discoveries or inventions made by them while in our employ. However, trade secrets and know-how can be difficult to protect. We cannot guarantee that we have entered into such agreements with each party that may have or have had access to our trade secrets or proprietary technology and processes or that these agreements will afford us adequate protection of our intellectual property and proprietary rights. Despite these efforts, any of these parties may breach the agreements and disclose our proprietary information, including our trade secrets, and we may not be able to obtain adequate remedies for such breaches. In addition, our trade secrets may otherwise become known or be independently discovered by competitors. For information regarding risks related to intellectual property, see the section titled “Risk Factors—Risks Related to Our Intellectual Property.”
Sales and Marketing
Given our stage of development, we have not yet established a commercial organization or distribution capabilities. We intend to build a commercial infrastructure to support sales of any approved products. We intend to continue evaluating opportunities to work with partners that enhance our capabilities with respect to the development and commercialization of palazestrant.
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In addition, we intend to commercialize our product candidates, if approved, in key markets either alone or with partners in order to maximize the worldwide commercial potential of our programs.
Manufacturing
We currently do not own or operate any manufacturing facilities. We rely, and expect to continue to rely for the foreseeable future, on third-party contract manufacturing organizations (CMOs) to produce palazestrant for non-clinical and clinical testing, as well as for commercial manufacture if palazestrant receives marketing approval. We require that our CMOs produce bulk drug substances and finished drug products in accordance with current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMPs) and all other applicable laws and regulations. We maintain agreements with our manufacturers that include confidentiality and intellectual property provisions to protect our proprietary rights related to palazestrant.
We have engaged CMOs to manufacture and package palazestrant for non-clinical and clinical use. Additional CMOs are used to label and distribute palazestrant for clinical use. We obtain our supplies from these CMOs on a purchase order basis and do not have long-term supply arrangements in place. Although we do not currently have contractual arrangements in place for redundant supply for palazestrant, it is our goal to identify and contract with at least two manufacturers for active pharmaceutical ingredient and two manufacturers for drug product. More broadly, for palazestrant and any other product candidates we may develop, we intend to identify and qualify additional manufacturers to provide the active pharmaceutical ingredient and fill-and-finish services prior to seeking regulatory approval.
Competition
The biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries are characterized by rapid technological advancement, significant competition and an emphasis on intellectual property. We face potential competition from many different sources, including major and specialty pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, academic research institutions, governmental agencies and public and private research institutions. Any product candidates that we successfully develop and commercialize will compete with current therapies and new therapies that may become available in the future.
Many of the companies against which we may compete have significantly greater financial resources and expertise in research and development, manufacturing, non-clinical testing, conducting clinical trials, obtaining regulatory approvals and marketing approved products than we do. Mergers and acquisitions in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and oncology industries may result in even more resources being concentrated among a smaller number of our competitors. Smaller or early-stage companies may also prove to be significant competitors, particularly through collaborative arrangements with large and established companies. These competitors also compete with us in recruiting and retaining qualified scientific and management personnel and establishing clinical trial sites and patient registration for clinical trials, as well as in acquiring technologies complementary to, or necessary for, our programs.
Our commercial opportunity could be reduced or eliminated if our competitors develop and commercialize products that are safer, more effective, have fewer or less severe side effects, are more convenient or less expensive than any products we may develop. Our competitors also may obtain FDA or other regulatory approval for their product candidates more rapidly than we may obtain approval for ours, which could result in competitors establishing a strong market position before we are able to enter the market. We believe that the key competitive factors affecting the success of any of our product candidates, if approved, will include efficacy, combinability, safety profile, convenience, cost, level of promotional activity devoted to them and intellectual property protection.
If the product candidates for our priority programs are approved for the indications we are currently targeting, they will compete with the products discussed below. Furthermore, it is possible that other companies are also engaged in discovery or non-clinical development of product candidates for the same indications.
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These competitors, if successful in clinical development, may achieve regulatory approval and market adoption in advance of our product candidates, constraining our ability to gain significant market share for such product candidates. In addition, our product candidates, if approved, will complete with multiple approved products or products that may be approved for future indications for which we develop such product candidate.
There are several currently marketed drugs and product candidates currently in development for the treatment of ER+ breast cancer that target the estrogen receptor that may compete with palazestrant including: fulvestrant, marketed as Faslodex® by AstraZeneca PLC and or any generic equivalents of Faslodex that are marketed or in development; elacestrant, marketed as ORSERDUTM by Stemline Therapeutics Inc.; giredestrant (GDC-9545), being developed by Roche Holding AG/Genentech, Inc.; camizestrant (AZD9833), being developed by AstraZeneca PLC; imlunestrant (LY3484356), being developed by Eli Lilly and Co.; vepdegestrant (ARV‑471), being developed by Arvinas, Inc. in partnership with Pfizer, Inc.; and lasofoxifene, being developed by Sermonix Pharmaceuticals. There are a number of KAT6 inhibitor product candidates in development that may compete with OP-3136 including PF-07248144, which is being developed by Pfizer.
Government Regulation and Product Approval
As a biopharmaceutical company that operates in the United States, we are subject to extensive regulation. Government authorities in the United States (at the federal, state and local level) and in other countries extensively regulate, among other things, the research, development, testing, manufacturing, quality control, approval, labeling, packaging, storage, record-keeping, promotion, advertising, distribution, post-approval monitoring and reporting, marketing and export and import of drug products such as those we are developing. Any drug candidates that we develop must be approved by the FDA before they may be legally marketed in the United States and by the appropriate foreign regulatory agency before they may be legally marketed in foreign countries. Generally, our activities in other countries will be subject to regulation that is similar in nature and scope as that imposed in the United States, although there can be important differences. Additionally, some significant aspects of regulation in Europe are addressed in a centralized way, but country-specific regulation remains essential in many respects.
U.S. drug development process
In the United States, the FDA regulates drugs under the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (FDCA), and implementing regulations. Drugs are also subject to other federal, state and local statutes and regulations. The process of obtaining regulatory approvals and the subsequent compliance with appropriate federal, state, local and foreign statutes and regulations require the expenditure of substantial time and financial resources. Failure to comply with the applicable U.S. requirements at any time during the product development process, approval process or after approval, may subject an applicant to administrative or judicial sanctions. FDA sanctions could include, among other actions, refusal to approve pending applications, withdrawal of an approval, a clinical hold, warning letters, product recalls or withdrawals from the market, product seizures, total or partial suspension of production or distribution injunctions, fines, refusals of government contracts, restitution, disgorgement or civil or criminal penalties. Any agency or judicial enforcement action could have a material adverse effect on us. The process required by the FDA before a drug may be marketed in the United States generally involves the following:
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Before testing any compounds with potential therapeutic value in humans, the drug candidate enters the non-clinical testing stage. Non-clinical tests include laboratory evaluations of product chemistry, toxicity and formulation, as well as animal studies, to assess the characteristics and potential safety and activity of the drug candidate. The conduct of the non-clinical tests must comply with federal regulations and requirements including GLPs. The sponsor must submit the results of the non-clinical tests, together with manufacturing information, analytical data, any available clinical data or literature and a proposed clinical protocol, to the FDA as part of the IND. An IND is a request for authorization from the FDA to administer an investigational drug product to humans. The central focus of an IND submission is on the general investigational plan and the protocol(s) for human trials. Some non-clinical testing may continue even after the IND is submitted. The IND automatically becomes effective 30 days after receipt by the FDA, unless the FDA raises concerns or questions regarding the proposed clinical trials and places the IND on clinical hold within that 30 day time period. In such a case, the IND may be placed on clinical hold and the IND sponsor and the FDA must resolve any outstanding concerns or questions before the clinical trial can begin. The FDA may also impose clinical holds on a drug candidate at any time before or during clinical trials due to safety concerns or non-compliance.
For each successive clinical trial conducted with the investigational drug, a separate, new protocol submission to an existing IND must be made, along with any subsequent changes to the investigational plan. Sponsors are also subject to ongoing reporting requirements, including submission of IND safety reports for any serious adverse experiences associated with use of the investigational drug or findings from non-clinical studies suggesting a significant risk for human subjects, as well as IND annual reports on the progress of the investigations conducted under the IND.
Clinical trials involve the administration of the drug candidate to healthy volunteers or patients under the supervision of qualified investigators, generally physicians not employed by or under the trial sponsor’s control, in accordance with GCPs, which include the requirement that all research subjects provide their informed consent for their participation in any clinical trial. Clinical trials are conducted under protocols detailing, among other things, the objectives of the clinical trial, dosing procedures, subject selection and exclusion criteria and the parameters to be used to monitor subject safety and assess efficacy. Each protocol, and any subsequent amendments to the protocol, must be submitted to the FDA as part of the IND. Further, each clinical trial must be reviewed and approved by an IRB, at or servicing each institution at which the clinical trial will be conducted. An IRB is charged with protecting the welfare and rights of trial participants and considers such items as whether the risks to individuals participating in the clinical trials are minimized and are reasonable in relation to anticipated benefits. The IRB also approves the informed consent form that must be provided to each clinical trial subject or his or her legal representative and must monitor the clinical trial until completed. There are also requirements governing the reporting of ongoing clinical trials and completed clinical trial results to public registries.
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Human clinical trials are typically conducted in three sequential phases that may overlap or be combined:
Post-approval studies (Phase 4 clinical trials) may be conducted after initial marketing approval. These trials are used to gain additional experience from the treatment of patients in the intended therapeutic indication. In certain instances, the FDA may mandate the performance of Phase 4 trials. In certain instances, the FDA may mandate the performance of Phase 4 clinical trials as a condition of approval of an NDA.
Progress reports detailing the results of the clinical trials must be submitted at least annually to the FDA and written IND safety reports must be submitted to the FDA and the investigators for serious and unexpected adverse events or any finding from tests in laboratory animals that suggests a significant risk for human subjects.
Phase 1, Phase 2 and Phase 3 clinical trials may not be completed successfully within any specified period, if at all. The FDA, the IRB, or the sponsor may suspend or terminate a clinical trial at any time on various grounds, including a finding that the research subjects or patients are being exposed to an unacceptable health risk.
Similarly, an IRB can suspend or terminate approval of a clinical trial at its institution if the clinical trial is not being conducted in accordance with the IRB’s requirements or if the drug has been associated with unexpected serious harm to patients. Additionally, some clinical trials are overseen by an independent group of qualified experts organized by the clinical trial sponsor, known as a data safety monitoring board or committee. This group assesses whether or not a trial may move forward at designated check points based on access to certain data from the ongoing trial.
Concurrent with clinical trials, companies usually complete additional animal studies and must also develop additional information about the chemistry and physical characteristics of the drug as well as finalize a process for manufacturing the product in commercial quantities in accordance with cGMP requirements. The manufacturing process must be capable of consistently producing quality batches of the drug candidate and, among other things, must develop methods for testing the identity, strength, quality and purity of the final drug. Additionally, appropriate packaging must be selected and tested, and stability studies must be conducted to demonstrate that the drug candidate does not undergo unacceptable deterioration over its shelf life.
U.S. review and approval processes
Assuming successful completion of all required testing in accordance with all applicable regulatory requirements, the results of product development, non-clinical studies and clinical trials, along with descriptions of the manufacturing process, analytical tests conducted on the chemistry of the drug, proposed labeling and other relevant information are submitted to the FDA as part of an NDA requesting approval to market the product.
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Data may come from company-sponsored clinical trials intended to test the safety and effectiveness of a use of a product, or from a number of alternative sources, including studies initiated by investigators. To support marketing approval, the data submitted must be sufficient in quality and quantity to establish the safety and effectiveness of the investigational drug product to the satisfaction of the FDA. The submission of an NDA is subject to the payment of substantial user fees; a waiver of such fees may be obtained under certain limited circumstances.
In addition, the Pediatric Research Equity Act (PREA) requires a sponsor to conduct pediatric clinical trials for most drugs, for a new active ingredient, new indication, new dosage form, new dosing regimen or new route of administration. Under PREA, original NDAs and supplements must contain a pediatric assessment unless the sponsor has received a deferral or waiver. The required assessment must evaluate the safety and effectiveness of the product for the claimed indications in all relevant pediatric subpopulations and support dosing and administration for each pediatric subpopulation for which the product is safe and effective. The sponsor or FDA may request a deferral of pediatric clinical trials for some or all of the pediatric subpopulations. A deferral may be granted for several reasons, including a finding that the drug is ready for approval for use in adults before pediatric clinical trials are complete or that additional safety or effectiveness data needs to be collected before the pediatric clinical trials begin. The FDA must send a non-compliance letter to any sponsor that fails to submit the required assessment, keep a deferral current or fails to submit a request for approval of a pediatric formulation. Unless otherwise required by regulation, the Pediatric Research Equity Act does not apply to any drug for an indication for which orphan designation has been granted. However, if only one indication for a product has orphan designation, a pediatric assessment may still be required for any applications to market that same product for the non-orphan indication(s).
The FDA reviews all NDAs submitted before it accepts them for filing and may request additional information rather than accepting an NDA for filing. The FDA must make a decision on accepting an NDA for filing within 60 days of receipt. Once the submission is accepted for filing, the FDA begins an in-depth review of the NDA. Under the Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) guidelines that are currently in effect, the FDA has a goal of ten months from the date of “filing” of a standard NDA for a new molecular entity to review and act on the submission. This review typically takes twelve months from the date the NDA is submitted to the FDA because the FDA has approximately two months to make a “filing” decision after it the application is submitted The FDA does not always meet its PDUFA goal dates for standard and priority NDAs, and the review process is often significantly extended by FDA requests for additional information or clarification.
After the NDA submission is accepted for filing, the FDA reviews the NDA to determine, among other things, whether the proposed product is safe and effective for its intended use and whether the product is being manufactured in accordance with cGMP to assure and preserve the product’s identity, strength, quality and purity. The FDA may refer applications for novel drug products or drug products which present difficult questions of safety or efficacy to an advisory committee, typically a panel that includes clinicians and other experts, for review, evaluation and a recommendation as to whether the application should be approved and under what conditions. The FDA is not bound by the recommendations of an advisory committee, but it considers such recommendations carefully when making decisions and typically follows the advisory committee’s recommendations.
Before approving an NDA, the FDA will inspect the facilities at which the product is manufactured. The FDA will not approve the product unless it determines that the manufacturing processes and facilities are in compliance with cGMP requirements and adequate to assure consistent production of the product within required specifications. Additionally, before approving an NDA, the FDA may inspect one or more clinical sites to assure compliance with GCP requirements. After the FDA evaluates the application, manufacturing process and manufacturing facilities, it may issue an approval letter or a Complete Response Letter. An approval letter authorizes commercial marketing of the drug with specific prescribing information for specific indications. A Complete Response Letter indicates that the review cycle of the application is complete and the application will not be approved in its present form. A Complete Response Letter usually describes all of the specific deficiencies in the NDA identified by the FDA. The Complete Response Letter may require additional clinical data and/or (an) additional pivotal Phase 3 clinical trial(s), and/or other significant and time-consuming requirements related to clinical trials, non-clinical studies or manufacturing.
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If a Complete Response Letter is issued, the applicant may either resubmit the NDA, addressing all of the deficiencies identified in the letter, or withdraw the application. Even if such data and information is submitted, the FDA may ultimately decide that the NDA does not satisfy the criteria for approval.
If a product receives regulatory approval, the approval may be significantly limited to specific diseases and dosages or the indications for use may otherwise be limited, which could restrict the commercial value of the product. Further, the FDA may require that certain contraindications, warnings or precautions be included in the product labeling or may condition the approval of the NDA on other changes to the proposed labeling, development of adequate controls and specifications, or a commitment to conduct one or more post-market studies or clinical trials. For example, the FDA may require Phase 4 testing, which involves clinical trials designed to further assess a drug safety and effectiveness and may require testing and surveillance programs to monitor the safety of approved products that have been commercialized. The FDA may also determine that a risk evaluation and mitigation strategy (REMS) is necessary to assure the safe use of the drug. If the FDA concludes a REMS is needed, the sponsor of the NDA must submit a proposed REMS; the FDA will not approve the NDA without an approved REMS, if required. A REMS could include medication guides, physician communication plans, or elements to assure safe use, such as restricted distribution methods, patient registries and other risk minimization tools.
Expedited development and review programs
The FDA has a fast track designation program that is intended to expedite or facilitate the process for reviewing new drug products that meet certain criteria. Specifically, new drugs are eligible for Fast Track designation if they are intended to treat a serious or life-threatening disease or condition and demonstrate the potential to address unmet medical needs for the disease or condition. Unique to a fast track product, the FDA may consider for review sections of the NDA on a rolling basis before the complete application is submitted, if the sponsor provides a schedule for the submission of the sections of the NDA, the FDA agrees to accept sections of the NDA and determines that the schedule is acceptable, and the sponsor pays any required user fees upon submission of the first section of the NDA.
Any product submitted to the FDA for approval, including a product with a fast track designation, may also be eligible for other types of FDA programs intended to expedite development and review, such as priority review and accelerated approval. A product is eligible for priority review if it has the potential to provide safe and effective therapy for a serious condition where no satisfactory alternative therapy exists or a significant improvement in the treatment, diagnosis or prevention of a serious condition compared to marketed products. The FDA will attempt to direct additional resources to the evaluation of an application for a new drug designated for priority review in an effort to facilitate the review.
In addition, a product may be eligible for accelerated approval. Drug products intended to treat serious or life- threatening diseases or conditions may be eligible for accelerated approval upon a determination that the product has an effect on a surrogate endpoint that is reasonably likely to predict clinical benefit, or on a clinical endpoint that can be measured earlier than irreversible morbidity or mortality, that is reasonably likely to predict an effect on irreversible morbidity or mortality or other clinical benefit, taking into account the severity, rarity, or prevalence of the condition and the availability or lack of alternative treatments. As a condition of approval, the FDA may require that a sponsor of a drug receiving accelerated approval perform adequate and well-controlled post- marketing clinical trials. In addition, the FDA currently requires, as a condition for accelerated approval, pre-approval of promotional materials, which could adversely impact the timing of the commercial launch of the product. Fast track designation, priority review and accelerated approval do not change the standards for approval but may expedite the development or approval process.
Even if a product qualifies for one or more of these programs, the FDA may later decide that the product no longer meets the conditions for qualification or decide that the time period for FDA review or approval will not be shortened. In addition, this designation may not provide a material commercial advantage.
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Post-approval requirements
Any drug products for which we receive FDA approvals are subject to continuing regulation by the FDA, including, among other things, record-keeping requirements, reporting of adverse experiences with the product, providing the FDA with updated safety and efficacy information, product sampling and distribution requirements, and complying with FDA promotion and advertising requirements, which include, among others, standards for direct- to-consumer advertising, restrictions on promoting drugs for uses or in patient populations that are not described in the drug’s approved labeling (known as “off-label use”), limitations on industry-sponsored scientific and educational activities, and requirements for promotional activities involving the internet. Although physicians may prescribe legally available drugs for off-label uses, manufacturers may not market or promote such off-label uses.
In addition, quality control and manufacturing procedures must continue to conform to applicable manufacturing requirements after approval to ensure the long-term stability of the drug product. We rely, and expect to continue to rely, on third parties for the production of clinical and commercial quantities of our products in accordance with cGMP regulations. cGMP regulations require among other things, quality control and quality assurance as well as the corresponding maintenance of records and documentation and the obligation to investigate and correct any deviations from cGMP. Drug manufacturers and other entities involved in the manufacture and distribution of approved drugs are required to register their establishments with the FDA and certain state agencies and are subject to periodic unannounced inspections by the FDA and certain state agencies for compliance with cGMP and other laws. Accordingly, manufacturers must continue to expend time, money, and effort in the area of production and quality control to maintain cGMP compliance. Discovery of problems with a product after approval may result in restrictions on a product, manufacturer, or holder of an approved NDA, including, among other things, recall or withdrawal of the product from the market. In addition, changes to the manufacturing process are strictly regulated, and depending on the significance of the change, may require prior FDA approval before being implemented. Other types of changes to the approved product, such as adding new indications and additional labeling claims, are also subject to further FDA review and approval.
The FDA also may require post-marketing testing, known as Phase 4 testing, and surveillance to monitor the effects of an approved product. Discovery of previously unknown problems with a product or the failure to comply with applicable FDA requirements can have negative consequences, including adverse publicity, judicial or administrative enforcement, warning letters from the FDA, mandated corrective advertising or communications with doctors, and civil or criminal penalties, among others. Newly discovered or developed safety or effectiveness data may require changes to a product’s approved labeling, including the addition of new warnings and contraindications, and also may require the implementation of other risk management measures. Also, new government requirements, including those resulting from new legislation, may be established, or the FDA’s policies may change, which could delay or prevent regulatory approval of our products under development.
U.S. Patent term restoration and marketing exclusivity
Depending upon the timing, duration and specifics of the FDA approval of the use of our product candidates, some of our U.S. patents, if granted, may be eligible for limited PTE under the Drug Price Competition and Patent Term Restoration Act of 1984, commonly referred to as the Hatch-Waxman Amendments. As compensation for patent term lost during product development and the FDA regulatory review process, the Hatch-Waxman Amendments permit a patent restoration term (PTE), which is limited to a maximum of five years, or less if the extended patent term would exceed 14 years after the date of the regulatory approval of the product. The patent term restoration period is generally one-half the time between the effective date of an IND and the submission date of an NDA plus the time between the submission date of an NDA and the approval of that application. Only one patent applicable to an approved drug or drug product, or its approved use, is eligible for the extension and the application for the extension must be submitted prior to the expiration of the patent. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, in consultation with the FDA, reviews and approves the application for any patent term extension or restoration. In the future, we may intend to apply for restoration of a patent term for one of our currently owned or licensed patents to add patent life beyond its current expiration date, depending on the expected length of the clinical trials and other factors involved in the filing of the relevant NDA. However, we may not receive an extension if we fail to exercise due diligence during the testing phase or regulatory review process, fail to apply within applicable deadlines, fail to apply prior to expiration of relevant patents or otherwise fail to satisfy applicable requirements. Moreover, the length of the extension could be less than we request. There can be no assurance that we will benefit from any PTE or favorable adjustment to the term of any of our patents.
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Market exclusivity provisions under the FDCA can also delay the submission or the approval of certain marketing applications. The FDCA provides a five-year period of non-patent marketing exclusivity within the United States to the first applicant to obtain approval of an NDA for a new chemical entity. A drug is a new chemical entity if the FDA has not previously approved any other new drug containing the same active moiety, which is the molecule or ion responsible for the action of the drug substance. During the exclusivity period, the FDA may not approve or even accept for review an abbreviated new drug application (ANDA), or a 505(b)(2) NDA submitted by another company for another drug based on the same active moiety, regardless of whether the drug is intended for the same indication as the original innovative drug or for another indication, where the applicant does not own or have a legal right of reference to all the data required for approval. However, an application may be submitted after four years if it contains a certification of patent invalidity or non-infringement to one of the patents listed with the FDA by the innovator NDA holder. The FDCA alternatively provides three years of marketing exclusivity for an NDA, or supplement to an existing NDA if new clinical investigations, other than bioavailability studies, that were conducted or sponsored by the applicant are deemed by the FDA to be essential to the approval of the application, for example new indications, dosages or strengths of an existing drug. This three-year exclusivity covers only the modification for which the drug received approval on the basis of the new clinical investigations and does not prohibit the FDA from approving ANDAs for drugs containing the active agent for the original indication or condition of use. Five-year and three-year exclusivity will not delay the submission or approval of a full NDA. However, an applicant submitting a full NDA would be required to conduct or obtain a right of reference to all of the non-clinical studies and adequate and well-controlled clinical trials necessary to demonstrate safety and effectiveness.
Orphan drug exclusivity, as described above, may offer a seven-year period of marketing exclusivity, except in certain circumstances. Pediatric exclusivity is another type of non-patent market exclusivity in the United States. Pediatric exclusivity, if granted, adds six months to existing exclusivity periods and patent terms. This six-month exclusivity, which runs from the end of other exclusivity protection or patent term, may be granted based on the voluntary completion of a pediatric trial in accordance with an FDA-issued “Written Request” for such a trial.
Other U.S. healthcare laws and compliance requirements
Although we currently do not have any products on the market, we are and, upon approval and commercialization, will be subject to additional healthcare regulation and enforcement by the federal government and by authorities in the states and foreign jurisdictions in which we conduct our business. In the United States, such laws include, without limitation, state and federal fraud and abuse (such as anti-kickback and false claims), privacy and security, price reporting, and provider transparency laws and regulations.
The federal Anti-Kickback Statute prohibits, among other things, any person or entity, from knowingly and willfully offering, paying, soliciting or receiving any remuneration, directly or indirectly, overtly or covertly, in cash or in kind, to induce or in return for purchasing, leasing, ordering or arranging for the purchase, lease or order of any item or service reimbursable under Medicare, Medicaid or other federal healthcare programs. The term remuneration has been interpreted broadly to include anything of value. The Anti-Kickback Statute has been interpreted to apply to arrangements between pharmaceutical manufacturers on the one hand and prescribers, purchasers, and formulary managers on the other. There are a number of statutory exceptions and regulatory safe harbors protecting some common activities from prosecution. The exceptions and safe harbors are drawn narrowly and practices that involve remuneration that may be alleged to be intended to induce prescribing, purchasing or recommending may be subject to scrutiny if they do not qualify for an exception or safe harbor but the exceptions and safe harbors are drawn narrowly and require strict compliance in order to offer protection.
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Failure to meet all of the requirements of a particular applicable statutory exception or regulatory safe harbor does not make the conduct per se illegal under the Anti-Kickback Statute. Instead, the legality of the arrangement will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis based on a cumulative review of all of its facts and circumstances. Our practices may not in all cases meet all of the criteria for protection under a statutory exception or regulatory safe harbor.
Additionally, the intent standard under the Anti-Kickback Statute and certain criminal healthcare fraud statutes (discussed below) was amended by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010, as amended by the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010, together with subsequent amendments and regulations, collectively, the ACA, to a stricter standard such that a person or entity no longer needs to have actual knowledge of the statute or specific intent to violate it in order to have committed a violation. In addition, the ACA codified case law that a claim including items or services resulting from a violation of the federal Anti-Kickback Statute constitutes a false or fraudulent claim for purposes of the federal False Claims Act (discussed below).
The federal False Claims Act prohibits, among other things, any person or entity from knowingly presenting, or causing to be presented, a false claim for payment to, or approval by, the federal government or knowingly making, using, or causing to be made or used a false record or statement material to a false or fraudulent claim to the federal government. As a result of a modification made by the Fraud Enforcement and Recovery Act of 2009, a claim includes “any request or demand” for money or property presented to the U.S. government. Pharmaceutical and other healthcare companies have been prosecuted under these laws for, among other things, allegedly providing free product to customers with the expectation that the customers would bill federal programs for the product and for causing false claims to be submitted because of the companies’ marketing of the product for unapproved, and thus non- covered, uses.
The federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) also created new federal criminal statutes that prohibit, among other things, knowingly and willfully executing, or attempting to execute, a scheme to defraud or to obtain, by means of false or fraudulent pretenses, representations or promises, any money or property owned by, or under the control or custody of, any healthcare benefit program, including private third-party payors and knowingly and willfully falsifying, concealing or covering up by trick, scheme or device, a material fact or making any materially false, fictitious or fraudulent statement in connection with the delivery of or payment for healthcare benefits, items or services. Also, many states have similar fraud and abuse statutes or regulations that apply to items and services reimbursed under Medicaid and other state programs, or, in several states, apply regardless of the payor.
Additionally, the federal Physician Payments Sunshine Act within the ACA, and its implementing regulations, require that certain manufacturers of drugs, devices, biological and medical supplies for which payment is available under Medicare, Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (with certain exceptions) annually report information related to certain payments or other transfers of value made or distributed to physicians (defined to include doctors, dentists, optometrists, podiatrists and chiropractors), other healthcare professionals (such as physician assistants and nurse practitioners), and teaching hospitals, and certain ownership and investment interests held by these physicians and their immediate family members.
We may also be subject to data privacy and security regulations promulgated by both the federal government and the states in which we conduct our business. HIPAA, as amended by the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH) and its implementing regulations, impose requirements on covered entities, including certain healthcare providers, health plans, and healthcare clearinghouses, and their respective business associates that create, receive, maintain or transmit individually identifiable health information for or on behalf of a covered entity as well as their covered subcontractors relating to the privacy, security and transmission of individually identifiable health information. Among other things, HITECH makes HIPAA’s privacy and security standards directly applicable to business associates, independent contractors or agents of covered entities that receive or obtain protected health information in connection with providing a service on behalf of a covered entity. HITECH also created four new tiers of civil monetary penalties, amended HIPAA to make civil and criminal penalties directly applicable to business associates, and gave state attorneys general new authority to file civil actions for damages or injunctions in federal courts to enforce the federal HIPAA laws and seek attorneys’ fees and costs associated with pursuing federal civil actions.
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In addition, state laws govern the privacy and security of health information in specified circumstances, many of which differ from each other in significant ways and may not have the same effect, thus complicating compliance efforts.
In order to distribute products commercially, we must comply with state laws that require the registration of manufacturers and wholesale distributors of pharmaceutical products in a state, including, in certain states, manufacturers and distributors who ship products into the state even if such manufacturers or distributors have no place of business within the state. Some states also impose requirements on manufacturers and distributors to establish the pedigree of product in the chain of distribution, including some states that require manufacturers and others to adopt new technology capable of tracking and tracing product as it moves through the distribution chain. Several states have enacted legislation requiring pharmaceutical companies to establish marketing compliance programs, file periodic reports with the state, make periodic public disclosures on sales, marketing, pricing, track and report gifts, compensation and other remuneration made to physicians and other healthcare providers, clinical trials and other activities, and/or register their sales representatives, as well as to prohibit pharmacies and other healthcare entities from providing certain physician prescribing data to pharmaceutical companies for use in sales and marketing, and to prohibit certain other sales and marketing practices. All of our activities are potentially subject to federal and state consumer protection and unfair competition laws.
If our operations are found to be in violation of any of the federal and state healthcare laws described above or any other governmental regulations that apply to us, we may be subject to significant penalties, including without limitation, civil, criminal and/or administrative penalties, damages, fines, disgorgement, imprisonment, exclusion from participation in government programs, such as Medicare and Medicaid, injunctions, private “qui tam” actions brought by individual whistleblowers in the name of the government, or refusal to allow us to enter into government contracts, contractual damages, reputational harm, administrative burdens, diminished profits and future earnings, and the curtailment or restructuring of our operations, any of which could adversely affect our ability to operate our business and our results of operations.
U.S. and foreign laws, regulations, rules, contractual obligations, policies and other obligations related to data privacy and security.
We are or will become subject to privacy laws in the jurisdictions in which we are established or in which we sell or market our products or run clinical trials. For example, in Europe we are subject to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in relation to our collection, control, processing and other use of personal data (i.e., data relating to an identified or identifiable living individual). We process personal data in relation to participants in our clinical trials in the European Economic Area (EEA), including the health and medical information of these participants. The GDPR is directly applicable in each of the twenty-seven member states of the European Union (EU Member States), however, it provides that EU Member States may introduce further conditions that could cause our compliance costs to increase, ultimately having an adverse impact on our business.
We are subject to the supervision of local data protection authorities in those European Union jurisdictions where we are established or otherwise subject to the GDPR. Fines for certain breaches of the GDPR are significant: up to the greater of €20 million or 4% of total global annual turnover. Further, we must comply with both the GDPR and separately the GDPR as implemented in the United Kingdom (UK), each regime having the ability to fine up to the greater of €20 million / £17 million or 4% of global turnover. A breach of the GDPR or other applicable privacy and data protection laws and regulations could result in regulatory investigations, reputational damage, orders to cease/change our use of data, enforcement notices, or potential civil claims including class action type litigation. In general, if our efforts to comply with the GDPR or other applicable European Union laws and regulations are not successful, it could adversely affect our business in the European Union.
In the ordinary course of business, we may transfer personal data from Europe and other jurisdictions to the United States or other countries. Europe and other jurisdictions have enacted laws requiring data to be localized or limiting the transfer of personal data to other countries. In particular, the EEA and the UK have significantly restricted the transfer of personal data to the United States and other countries whose privacy laws it believes are inadequate.
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Other jurisdictions may adopt similarly stringent interpretations of their data localization and cross-border data transfer laws. Although there are currently various mechanisms that may be used to transfer personal data from the EEA and UK to the United States in compliance with law, such as the EEA and UK’s standard contractual clauses, these mechanisms are subject to legal challenges, and there is no assurance that we can satisfy or rely on these measures to lawfully transfer personal data to the United States.
If there is no lawful manner for us to transfer personal data from the EEA, the UK or other jurisdictions to the United States, or if the requirements for a legally-compliant transfer are too onerous, we could face significant adverse consequences, including the interruption or degradation of our operations, the need to relocate part of or all of our business or data processing activities to other jurisdictions at significant expense, increased exposure to regulatory actions, substantial fines and penalties, the inability to transfer data and work with partners, vendors and other third parties, and injunctions against our processing or transferring of personal data necessary to operate our business. Additionally, companies that transfer personal data out of the EEA and UK to other jurisdictions, particularly to the United States, are subject to increased scrutiny from regulators, individual litigants, and activist groups. Some European regulators have ordered certain companies to suspend or permanently cease certain transfers out of Europe for allegedly violating the GDPR’s cross-border data transfer limitations.
In the United States, the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) creates individual privacy rights for California consumers (as defined in the law) and places increased privacy and security obligations on entities handling certain personal data of consumers or households. The CCPA requires covered companies to provide new disclosure to consumers about such companies’ data collection, use and sharing practices, provide such consumers new ways to opt-out of certain sales or transfers of personal information, and provide consumers with additional causes of action. The CCPA provides for civil penalties for violations, as well as a private right of action for certain data breaches that result in the loss of personal information. This private right of action may increase the likelihood of, and risks associated with, data breach litigation. The CCPA (a) allows enforcement by the California Attorney General, with fines set at $2,500 per violation (i.e., per person) or $7,500 per intentional violation and (b) authorizes private lawsuits to recover statutory damages for certain data breaches.
In addition, laws in all 50 U.S. states require businesses to provide notice to consumers whose personal information has been disclosed as a result of a data breach. State laws are changing rapidly and there is discussion in the U.S. Congress of a new comprehensive federal data privacy law to which we would become subject if it is enacted. The CCPA may impact our business activities and exemplifies the vulnerability of our business to the evolving regulatory environment related to personal data and protected health information. Additionally, the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA) significantly modifies the CCPA, including by expanding consumers’ rights with respect to certain sensitive personal information. The CPRA also creates a new state agency that will be vested with authority to implement and enforce the CCPA and the CPRA. New legislation proposed or enacted in various other states will continue to shape the data privacy environment nationally. For example, Virginia, Colorado, Utah, and Connecticut have all enacted broad privacy legislation. Certain state laws may be more stringent or broader in scope, or offer greater individual rights, with respect to confidential, sensitive and personal information than federal, international or other state laws, and such laws may differ from each other, which may complicate compliance efforts. In addition to the foregoing, any breach of privacy laws or data security laws, particularly resulting in a significant security incident or breach involving the misappropriation, loss or other unauthorized use or disclosure of sensitive or confidential patient or consumer information, could have a material adverse effect on our business, reputation and financial condition. As a data controller, we will be accountable for any third-party service providers we engage to process personal data on our behalf, including our contract research organizations (CROs). We attempt to mitigate the associated risks but there is no assurance that privacy and security-related safeguards will protect us from all risks associated with the third-party processing, storage and transmission of such information.
Pharmaceutical coverage, pricing and reimbursement
Significant uncertainty exists as to the coverage and reimbursement status of any product candidates for which we or our collaborators obtain regulatory approval. In the United States and markets in other countries, sales of any products for which we or our collaborators receive regulatory approval for commercial sale will depend, in part, on the extent to which third-party payors provide coverage, and establish adequate reimbursement levels for such drug products.
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In the United States, third-party payors include federal and state healthcare programs, government authorities, private managed care providers, private health insurers and other organizations.
Third-party payors are increasingly challenging the price, examining the medical necessity and reviewing the cost-effectiveness of medical drug products and medical services, in addition to questioning their safety and efficacy. Such payors may limit coverage to specific drug products on an approved list, also known as a formulary, which might not include all of the FDA-approved drugs for a particular indication. We or our collaborators may need to conduct expensive pharmaco-economic studies in order to demonstrate the medical necessity and cost-effectiveness of our products, in addition to the costs required to obtain the FDA approvals. Nonetheless, our product candidates may not be considered medically necessary or cost-effective. Moreover, the process for determining whether a third-party payor will provide coverage for a drug product may be separate from the process for setting the price of a drug product or for establishing the reimbursement rate that such a payor will pay for the drug product. A payor’s decision to provide coverage for a drug product does not imply that an adequate reimbursement rate will be approved. Further, one payor’s determination to provide coverage for a drug product does not assure that other payors will also provide coverage for the drug product. Adequate third-party reimbursement may not be available to enable us to maintain price levels sufficient to realize an appropriate return on our investment in product development.
If we elect to participate in certain governmental programs, we may be required to participate in discount and rebate programs, which may result in prices for our future products that will likely be lower than the prices we might otherwise obtain. For example, drug manufacturers participating under the Medicaid Drug Rebate Program must pay rebates on prescription drugs to state Medicaid programs. Under the Veterans Health Care Act (VHCA) drug companies are required to offer certain drugs at a reduced price to a number of federal agencies, including the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of Defense, the Public Health Service and certain private Public Health Service designated entities in order to participate in other federal funding programs, including Medicare and Medicaid. Recent legislative changes require that discounted prices be offered for certain U.S. Department of Defense purchases for its TRICARE program via a rebate system. Participation under the VHCA also requires submission of pricing data and calculation of discounts and rebates pursuant to complex statutory formulas, as well as the entry into government procurement contracts governed by the Federal Acquisition Regulations. If our products are made available to authorized users of the Federal Supply Schedule of the General Services Administration, additional laws and requirements apply.
Different pricing and reimbursement schemes exist in other countries. In the European Union, governments influence the price of pharmaceutical products through their pricing and reimbursement rules and control of national health care systems that fund a large part of the cost of those products to consumers. Some jurisdictions operate positive and negative list systems under which products may only be marketed once a reimbursement price has been agreed. To obtain reimbursement or pricing approval, some of these countries may require the completion of clinical trials that compare the cost-effectiveness of a particular drug candidate to currently available therapies. Across the European Union, member states carry out assessments of new pharmaceutical products from an economic, public health, and therapeutic perspective, through a Health Technology Assessment (HTA) process, which is currently governed by the national laws of EU Member States. In December 2021, the European Parliament voted to implement a regulation regarding HTAs (the HTA Regulation). The HTA Regulation is scheduled to apply as of January 2025, and will provide a framework for pan-EU clinical assessments, scientific consultations, identification of emerging health technologies, and further cooperation. Entry into application of the Regulation could impose stricter and more detailed procedures to be followed by marketing authorization holders concerning conduct of HTAs in relation to their products which may influence related pricing and reimbursement decisions. However, under the HTA Regulation, EU Member States will still be free to make their own pricing and reimbursement decisions. Moreover, EU Member States may, and do, choose to restrict the range of products for which their national health insurance systems or national healthcare systems provide reimbursement and to control the prices of such products. EU Member States may impose direct controls on pricing, or otherwise adopt a system of direct or indirect controls on the profitability of the companies placing such products on the market. Other EU Member States allow companies to set their own prices but monitor and control prescription volumes and issue guidance to medical professionals to limit prescriptions of such products.
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The downward pressure on health care costs in general, particularly prescription drugs, has become very intense. As a result, increasingly high barriers are being erected to the entry of new products. In addition, in some countries, cross-border imports from low-priced markets exert a commercial pressure on pricing within a country.
The marketability of any product candidates for which we or our collaborators receive regulatory approval for commercial sale may suffer if the government and third-party payors fail to provide adequate coverage and reimbursement. In addition, emphasis on managed care in the United States has increased and we expect will continue to increase the pressure on pharmaceutical pricing. Coverage policies and third-party reimbursement rates may change at any time. Even if favorable coverage and reimbursement status is attained for one or more products for which we or our collaborators receive regulatory approval, less favorable coverage policies and reimbursement rates may be implemented in the future.
Healthcare reform
A primary trend in the U.S. healthcare industry and elsewhere is cost containment. Government authorities and other third-party payors have attempted to control costs by limiting coverage and the amount of reimbursement for particular medical products and services, implementing reductions in Medicare and other healthcare funding and applying new payment methodologies. For example, in March 2010, the ACA was enacted, which affected existing government healthcare programs and resulted in the development of new programs.
There have been executive, judicial and Congressional challenges and amendments to certain aspects of the ACA. For example, on August 16, 2022, the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA) was signed into law, which among other things, extends enhanced subsidies for individuals purchasing health insurance coverage in ACA marketplaces through plan year 2025. The IRA also eliminates the “donut hole” under the Medicare Part D program beginning in 2025 by significantly lowering the beneficiary maximum out-of-pocket cost and creating a new manufacturer discount program. It is possible that the ACA will be subject to judicial or Congressional challenges in the future. It is unclear how such challenges and the healthcare reform measures of the current administration will impact the ACA and our business.
Other legislative changes have also been proposed and adopted in the United States since the ACA was enacted. On August 2, 2011, the Budget Control Act of 2011, among other things, included aggregate reductions to Medicare payments to providers of 2% per fiscal year, which went into effect on April 1, 2013, and will remain in effect through 2032, unless additional Congressional action is taken. Additionally, on March 11, 2021, the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 was signed into law, which eliminated the statutory Medicaid drug rebate cap, previously set at 100% of a drug’s average manufacturer price, for single source and innovator multiple source drugs, effective January 1, 2024.
There has been heightened governmental scrutiny recently over the manner in which pharmaceutical companies set prices for their marketed products, which has resulted in several Presidential executive orders, Congressional inquiries and proposed federal legislation, as well as state efforts, designed to, among other things, bring more transparency to product pricing, reduce the cost of prescription drugs under Medicare, review the relationship between pricing and manufacturer patient programs, and reform government program reimbursement methodologies for drug products. For example, the IRA, among other things, (1) directs the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), to negotiate the price of certain high-expenditure, single-source drugs that have been on the market for at least seven years covered under Medicare, the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program, and (2) imposes rebates under Medicare Part B and Medicare Part D to penalize price increases that outpace inflation. These provisions began to take effect progressively in fiscal year 2023. On August 15, 2024, HHS announced the agreed-upon prices of the first ten drugs that were subject to price negotiations, although the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program is currently subject to legal challenges. On January 17, 2024, HHS selected fifteen additional products covered under Part D for price negotiation in 2025. Each year thereafter, more Part B and Part D products will become subject to the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program. Further, on December 7, 2023, an initiative to control the price of prescription drugs through the use of march-in rights under the Bayh-Dole Act was announced. On December 8, 2023, the National Institute of Standards and Technology published for comment a Draft Interagency Guidance Framework for Considering the Exercise of March-In Rights which for the first time includes the price of a product as one factor an agency can use when deciding to exercise march-in rights.
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While march-in rights have not previously been exercised, it is uncertain if that will continue under the new framework. At the state level, legislatures have increasingly passed legislation and implemented regulations designed to control pharmaceutical and biological product pricing, including price or patient reimbursement constraints, discounts, restrictions on certain product access and marketing cost disclosure and transparency measures, and, in some cases, designed to encourage importation from other countries and bulk purchasing. For example, on January 5, 2024, the FDA approved Florida’s Section 804 Importation Program (SIP) proposal to import certain drugs from Canada for specific state healthcare programs. It is unclear how this program will be implemented, including which drugs will be chosen, and whether it will be subject to legal challenges in the United States or Canada. Other states have also submitted SIP proposals that are pending review by the FDA. Any such approved importation plans, when implemented, may result in lower drug prices for products covered by those programs.
In addition, it is possible that there will be further legislation or regulation that could harm our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
The U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act
The U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977 (FCPA) prohibits any U.S. individual or business from paying, offering, or authorizing payment or offering of anything of value, directly or indirectly, to any foreign official, political party or candidate for the purpose of influencing any act or decision of the foreign entity in order to assist the individual or business in obtaining or retaining business. The FCPA also obligates companies whose securities are listed in the United States to comply with accounting provisions requiring the company to maintain books and records that accurately and fairly reflect all transactions of the corporation, including international subsidiaries, and to devise and maintain an adequate system of internal accounting controls for international operations.
Europe / rest of world government regulation
In addition to regulations in the United States, we will be subject to a variety of regulations in other jurisdictions governing, among other things, clinical trials and any commercial sales and distribution of our products. Whether or not we or our potential collaborators obtain FDA approval for a product, we must obtain the requisite approvals from regulatory authorities in foreign countries prior to the commencement of clinical trials or marketing of the product in those countries.
Certain countries outside of the United States have a similar process that requires the submission of a clinical trial application much like the IND prior to the commencement of human clinical trials. In the European Union, for example, clinical trials are governed by the Clinical Trials Regulation (EU) No 536/2014 (CTR), which entered into application on January 31, 2022 repealing and replacing the former Clinical Trials Directive 2001/20 (CTD). The CTR is intended to harmonize and streamline clinical trial authorizations, simplify adverse-event reporting procedures, improve the supervision of clinical trials and increase transparency. Specifically, the Regulation, which is directly applicable in all EU Member States, introduces a streamlined application procedure through a single-entry point, the "EU portal", the Clinical Trials Information System (CTIS); a single set of documents to be prepared and submitted for the application; as well as simplified reporting procedures for clinical trial sponsors. A harmonized procedure for the assessment of applications for clinical trials has been introduced and is divided into two parts. Part I assessment is led by the competent authorities of a reference Member State selected by the trial sponsor and relates to clinical trial aspects that are considered to be scientifically harmonized across EU Member States. This assessment is then submitted to the competent authorities of all concerned EU Member States in which the trial is to be conducted for their review. Part II is assessed separately by the competent authorities and Ethics Committees in each concerned EU Member State. Individual EU Member States retain the power to authorize the conduct of clinical trials on their territory. The CTR foresaw a three-year transition period that ended on January 31, 2025. Since this date, all new or ongoing trials are subject to the provisions of the CTR.
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The requirements and processes governing the conduct of clinical trials, product licensing, pricing and reimbursement vary from country to country. In all major territories, including the European Union, clinical trials must be conducted in accordance with GCP and the applicable regulatory requirements and the ethical principles that have their origin in the Declaration of Helsinki.
The European Union and the European Economic Area consist, at the time of writing, of the EU Member States, plus Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein which are member states of the European Economic Area. To obtain regulatory approval of an investigational drug or biological product under European Union regulatory systems, we must submit a marketing authorization application either under the so-called centralized or national authorization procedures. There are three procedures for a marketing authorization (MA) to be obtained:
An MA has, in principle, an initial validity of five years. The MA may be renewed after five years on the basis of a re-evaluation of the risk-benefit balance by the EMA or by the competent authority of the EU Member State in which the original MA was granted.
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To support the application, the MA holder must provide the EMA or the competent authority with a consolidated version of the Common Technical Document providing up-to-date data concerning the quality, safety and efficacy of the product, including all variations introduced since the MA was granted, at least nine months before the MA ceases to be valid. The European Commission or the competent authorities of the EU Member States may decide on justified grounds relating to pharmacovigilance, to proceed with one further five year renewal period for the MA. Once subsequently definitively renewed, the MA shall be valid for an unlimited period. Any authorization which is not followed by the actual placing of the medicinal product on the EU market (for a centralized MA) or on the market of the authorizing EU Member State within three years after authorization ceases to be valid (the so-called sunset clause).
The EU provides opportunities for data and market exclusivity related to MAs. Upon receiving an MA, innovative medicinal products are generally entitled to receive eight years of data exclusivity and 10 years of market exclusivity. Data exclusivity, if granted, prevents regulatory authorities in the EU from referencing the innovator’s data to assess a generic application or biosimilar application for eight years from the date of authorization of the innovative product, after which a generic or biosimilar MAA can be submitted, and the innovator’s data may be referenced. The market exclusivity period prevents a successful generic or biosimilar applicant from commercializing its product in the EU until 10 years have elapsed from the initial MA of the reference product in the EU. The overall ten-year period may, occasionally, be extended for a further year to a maximum of 11 years if, during the first eight years of those ten years, the MA holder obtains an authorization for one or more new therapeutic indications which, during the scientific evaluation prior to their authorization, are held to bring a significant clinical benefit in comparison with existing therapies. However, there is no guarantee that a product will be considered by the EU’s regulatory authorities to be a new chemical/biological entity, and products may not qualify for data exclusivity.
The European Commission may also grant orphan drug designation to promote the development of products that may offer therapeutic benefits for life-threatening or chronically debilitating conditions affecting not more than five in 10,000 people in the European Union. In addition, orphan drug designation can be granted if the drug is intended for a life threatening, seriously debilitating or serious and chronic condition in the European Union and without incentives it is unlikely that sales of the drug in the European Union would be sufficient to justify developing the drug. Orphan drug designation is only available if there is no other satisfactory method approved in the European Union of diagnosing, preventing or treating the condition, or if such a method exists, the proposed orphan drug will be of significant benefit to patients. Orphan drug designation provides opportunities for free protocol assistance, fee reductions for access to the centralized regulatory procedures and ten years of market exclusivity following drug approval, which can be extended to 12 years if trials are conducted in accordance with an agreed-upon pediatric investigational plan. The exclusivity period may be reduced to six years if the designation criteria are no longer met, including where it is shown that the product is sufficiently profitable not to justify maintenance of market exclusivity.
In the EU, pricing and reimbursement schemes vary widely from country to country. Some EU Member States may approve a specific price for a product, or they may instead adopt a system of direct or indirect controls on the profitability of the company placing the product on the market. Other EU Member States allow companies to fix their own prices for products but monitor and control prescription volumes and issue guidance to physicians to limit prescriptions.
In addition, some EU Member States may require the completion of additional studies that compare the cost-effectiveness of a particular medicinal product candidate to currently available therapies. This Health Technology Assessment (HTA), process is the procedure according to which the assessment of the public health impact, therapeutic impact and the economic and societal impact of use of a given medicinal product in the national healthcare systems of the individual country is conducted. The outcome of HTA regarding specific medicinal products will often influence the pricing and reimbursement status granted to these medicinal products by the competent authorities of individual EU Member States. In December 2021, Regulation No 2021/2282 on Health Technology Assessment, or HTA Regulation, was adopted. The HTA Regulation is intended to boost cooperation among EU Member States in assessing health technologies, including new medicinal products, and providing the basis for cooperation at EU level for joint clinical assessments in these areas. The HTA Regulation has applied from January 12, 2025 although it will enter into force iteratively and initially apply to new active substances to treat cancer and to all advanced therapy medicinal products (ATMPs), it will then be expanded to orphan medicinal products in January 2028, and to all centrally authorized medicinal products as of 2030.
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Selected high-risk medical devices will also be assessed under the HTA Regulation as of 2026. The HTA Regulation is intended to harmonize the clinical benefit assessment of HTA across the European Union.
Much like the Anti-Kickback Statute prohibition in the United States, as described below, the provision of benefits or advantages to physicians and other health care professionals to induce or encourage the prescription, recommendation, endorsement, purchase, supply, order or use of medicinal products is also prohibited in the E.U. Interactions between pharmaceutical companies and health care professionals are governed by strict laws, such as national anti-bribery laws of European countries, national sunshine rules, regulations, industry self-regulation codes of conduct and physicians’ codes of professional conduct. Failure to comply with these requirements could result in reputational risk, public reprimands, administrative penalties, fines or imprisonment. Infringement of related laws could result in substantial fines and imprisonment.
Payments made to physicians and other health care professionals in certain EU Member States must be publicly disclosed. Moreover, agreements with health care professionals may require prior notification or approval by the health care professional’s employer, his or her competent professional organization and/or the regulatory authorities of the individual EU Member States. Failure to comply with these requirements could result in reputational risk, public reprimands, administrative penalties, fines or imprisonment.
The United Kingdom’s, or UK, withdrawal from the EU on January 31, 2020, commonly referred to as Brexit,
has changed the regulatory relationship between the UK and the EU. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, or MHRA, is now the UK’s standalone regulator for medicinal products and medical devices. The United Kingdom is now a third country to the EU. The UK regulatory framework in relation to clinical trials is governed by the Medicines for Human Use (Clinical Trials) Regulations 2004, as amended, which is derived from the CTD, as implemented into UK national law through secondary legislation. On January 17, 2022, the MHRA launched an eight-week consultation on reframing the UK legislation for clinical trials, and which aimed to streamline clinical trials approvals, enable innovation, enhance clinical trials transparency, enable greater risk proportionality, and promote patient and public involvement in clinical trials. The UK Government published its response to the consultation on March 21, 2023 confirming that it would bring forward changes to the legislation. The UK Government published its response to the consultation on March 21, 2023 confirming that it would bring forward changes to the legislation and such changes were laid in parliament on December 12, 2024. These resulting legislative amendments will, if implemented in their current form, bring the UK into closer alignment with the CTR. In October 2023, the MHRA announced a new Notification Scheme for clinical trials which enables a more streamlined and risk-proportionate approach to initial clinical trial applications for Phase 4 and low-risk Phase 3 clinical trial applications.
Marketing authorizations in the United Kingdom are governed by the Human Medicines Regulations (SI
2012/1916), as amended. Since January 1, 2021, an applicant for the EU’s centralized procedure marketing
authorization can no longer be established in the United Kingdom. As a result, since this date, companies
established in the United Kingdom cannot use the EU’s centralized procedure. In order to obtain a United
Kingdom MA to commercialize products in the United Kingdom, an applicant must be established in the
United Kingdom and must follow one of the United Kingdom national authorization procedures or one of the
remaining post-Brexit international cooperation procedures. Applications are governed by the Human
Medicines Regulations (SI 2012/1916) and are made electronically through the MHRA Submissions Portal.
The MHRA has introduced changes to national licensing procedures, including procedures to prioritize access to new medicines that will benefit patients, a 150-day assessment (subject to clock-stops) and a rolling review procedure. The rolling-review procedure permits the separate or joint submission of quality, non-clinical, and clinical data to the MHRA which can be reviewed on a rolling basis. After an application under the rolling-review procedure has been validated, the decision should be received within 100 days (subject to clock-stops).
In addition, since January 1, 2024, the MHRA may rely on the International Recognition Procedure (“IRP”),
when reviewing certain types of MAAs. Pursuant to the IRP, the MHRA will take into account the expertise and decision-making of trusted regulatory partners (e.g., the regulatory in Australia, Canada, Switzerland, Singapore, Japan, the U.S.A.
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and the EU). The MHRA will conduct a targeted assessment of IRP applications but retain the authority to reject applications if the evidence provided is considered insufficiently robust. The IRP allows medicinal products approved by such trusted regulatory partners that meet certain criteria to undergo a fast-tracked MHRA review to obtain and/or update a MA in the United Kingdom. Applications should be decided within a maximum of 60 days if there are no major objections identified that cannot be resolved within such 60 day period and the approval from the trusted regulatory partner selected has been granted within the previous 2 years or if there are such major objections identified or such approval hasn’t been granted within the previous 2 years within 110 days. Applicants can submit initial MAAs to the IRP but the procedure can also be used throughout the lifecycle of a product for post-authorization procedures including line extensions, variations and renewals.
There is no pre-marketing authorization orphan designation for medicinal products in the UK. Instead, the
MHRA reviews applications for orphan designation in parallel to the corresponding marketing authorization
application. The criteria are essentially the same as those in the EU, but have been tailored for the market.
This includes the criterion that prevalence of the condition in the United Kingdom, rather than the EU, must not be more than five in 10,000. Upon the grant of a marketing authorization with orphan status, the medicinal product will benefit from up to 10 years of market exclusivity from similar products in the approved orphan indication. The start of this market exclusivity period will be set from the date of first approval of the product in the United Kingdom.
For other countries outside of the European Union, such as countries in Eastern Europe, Latin America or Asia, the requirements governing the conduct of clinical trials, product licensing, pricing and reimbursement vary from country to country. In all major territories, clinical trials must be conducted in accordance with GCP and the applicable regulatory requirements and the ethical principles that have their origin in the Declaration of Helsinki. If we or our potential collaborators fail to comply with applicable foreign regulatory requirements, we may be subject to, among other things, fines, suspension or withdrawal of regulatory approvals, product recalls, seizure of products, operating restrictions and criminal prosecution.
Employees and Human Capital
Our commitment to innovation begins with the dedication to creating an environment that attracts and retains highly skilled people, including top scientific talent. This is a critical factor for us in delivering on our mission and creating value for our stakeholders.
We have grown significantly since our initial public offering in November 2020 and have since built a diverse organization, both in our Board of Directors where three global biotech female leaders are seated, and across our employee base. We have been successful in hiring employees with broad experience and backgrounds while facing significant competition for biotechnology talent from both established and early-stage biotechnology companies. Further, we are headquartered in the San Francisco Bay area and have operations in Cambridge, Massachusetts - both of which are global biotechnology hubs with many employment choices. Despite the competition, we have been successful in hiring highly qualified staff to join Olema.
As of January 31, 2025, we had 96 employees, all of whom were full time, consisting of clinical, research, operations, regulatory, and administrative personnel. Twenty eight of our employees hold Ph.D. or M.D. degrees; 41% of our employee population is male and 59% is female. None of our employees is subject to a collective bargaining agreement. We consider our relationship with our employees to be good.
We strive to create a positive employee experience and we are committed to the health, safety, and well-being of our employees. This commitment is reflected in our ability to attract and retain high performers. We believe we have a robust employment package that promotes well-being across all aspects of our employees’ lives, including healthcare, paid time-off, retirement savings with a company match through a 401(k) plan, our equity incentive plans, and our employee stock purchase plan. The principal purposes of our equity incentive plans are to attract, motivate, and retain our employees and directors through the granting of stock-based compensation awards. From time to time, we may offer additional stock-based compensation awards to our employees to continue to motivate them and support retention, particularly at times when our stock price, or the stock price of biotechnology companies generally, is volatile.
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We grant stock options to all full-time employees to foster alignment and promote a spirit of ownership.
Corporate Information
We were incorporated in Delaware on August 7, 2006, under the legal name of CombiThera, Inc., and, on March 25, 2009, were renamed Olema Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Available Information
Our Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K, and amendments to reports filed pursuant to Sections 13(a) and 15(d) of the Exchange Act, are filed with the SEC. Such reports and other information filed by us with the SEC are available free of charge on the Investors section of our website, www.olema.com, when such reports are available on the SEC’s website. The SEC maintains an internet site that contains reports, proxy and information statements and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC at www.sec.gov. The information contained on the websites referenced in this Annual Report on Form 10-K is not incorporated by reference into this filing. Further, any references to website URLs are intended to be inactive textual references only.
Item 1A. Risk Factors.
Risks related to our financial position and the need for additional capital
We have no products approved for commercial sale, which may make it difficult for you to evaluate our current business and predict our future success and viability.
We are a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, and we have no products approved for commercial sale, have not generated any revenue from product sales and have incurred losses since inception. To date, we have devoted substantially all of our resources and efforts to organizing and staffing our company, business planning, executing partnerships, raising capital, discovering, identifying and developing our lead product candidate, palazestrant (OP-1250), securing related intellectual property rights, conducting non-clinical studies, conducting a Phase 1/2 clinical study of palazestrant, initiating and conducting a Phase 3 clinical trial of palazestrant, conducting non-clinical studies of OP-3136, and preparing for the anticipated clinical development of OP-3136. We have not yet demonstrated our ability to obtain marketing approvals, manufacture a commercial-scale product or arrange for a third party to do so on our behalf, or conduct sales and marketing activities necessary for successful product commercialization. As a result, it may be more difficult for you to accurately predict our future success or viability than it could be if we had a longer operating history.
In addition, we may encounter unforeseen expenses, difficulties, complications, delays and other known and unknown factors and risks frequently experienced by clinical-stage biopharmaceutical companies in rapidly evolving fields. We also may need to transition from a company with a research focus to a company capable of successfully executing drug development activities and supporting commercial operations. If we do not adequately address these risks and difficulties or successfully make such a transition, our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects will be significantly harmed.
We require substantial additional capital to finance our operations. If we are unable to raise such capital when needed, or on acceptable terms, we may be forced to delay, reduce and/or eliminate one or more of our research and drug development programs of our product candidates or future commercialization efforts.
Developing pharmaceutical products, including conducting non-clinical studies and clinical trials, is a very time-consuming, expensive and uncertain process that takes years to complete. Our operations have consumed substantial amounts of cash since inception, and we expect our expenses will increase in connection with our ongoing activities, particularly as we initiate and conduct clinical trials of, and seek marketing approval for, palazestrant. We anticipate incurring significant costs associated with the development of our lead product candidate, palazestrant, OP-3136 and any future product candidates we may develop.
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Our expenses could increase beyond expectations if we are required by the FDA, the European Medicines Agency (EMA), or other regulatory authorities to perform clinical trials or non-clinical studies in addition to those that we currently anticipate. Other unanticipated costs may also arise. In addition, if we obtain marketing approval for palazestrant, OP-3136 or other product candidates, we expect to incur significant commercialization expenses related to drug sales, marketing, manufacturing and distribution. Because the design and outcome of our planned and anticipated clinical trials are highly uncertain, we cannot reasonably estimate the actual amounts necessary to successfully complete the development and commercialization of any product candidate we develop. We also incur costs associated with operating as a public company. Accordingly, we will need to obtain substantial additional funding in order to maintain our continuing operations.
Our estimate as to how long we expect our existing cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities to be able to continue to fund our operating expenses and capital expenditures requirements is based on assumptions that may prove to be wrong, and we could use our available capital resources sooner than we currently expect. Changing circumstances, some of which may be beyond our control including a negative return on, our cash and cash equivalents, could cause us to consume capital significantly faster than we currently anticipate, and we may need to seek additional funds sooner than planned. Moreover, it is particularly difficult to estimate with certainty our future expenses given the dynamic nature of our business and the geopolitical and macroeconomic environment, generally, including economic uncertainty, market volatility, labor shortages, tariffs and trade tensions, the ongoing conflicts between Ukraine and Russia and in the Middle East, as well as any related political or economic responses and counter-responses or otherwise by various global actors, inflation rates and the responses by central banking authorities to control such inflation, monetary supply shifts and related financial instability. Advancing the development of palazestrant, OP-3136 and any future product candidates we may develop will require a significant amount of capital, and our existing cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities will not be sufficient to fund all of the activities that are necessary to complete the development of palazestrant and OP-3136.
We will be required to obtain additional funding through public or private equity offerings, debt financings, collaborations and licensing arrangements or other sources, which may dilute our stockholders, or cause our stock price to decline or restrict our operating activities. Adequate additional financing may not be available to us on acceptable terms, or at all. Market volatility, including as a result of geopolitical and macroeconomic events discussed above, could adversely increase our need to access capital and likewise, adversely impact our ability to access capital as and when needed. For example, inflation rates, particularly in the United States, recently increased to levels not seen in years, and increased inflation may result in increases in our operating costs (including our labor costs), reduced liquidity and limits on our ability to access credit or otherwise raise capital on acceptable terms, if at all. In addition, the U.S. Federal Reserve has raised, and may again raise, interest rates in response to concerns about inflation, which, coupled with reduced government spending and volatility in financial markets may have the effect of heightening these risks and further increasing economic uncertainty.
Our failure to raise capital as and when needed or on acceptable terms would have a negative impact on our financial condition and our ability to pursue our business strategy, and we may have to delay, reduce the scope of, suspend or eliminate one or more of our research-stage programs, clinical trials or future commercialization efforts. We also could be required to seek collaborators for palazestrant, OP-3136 or any future product candidate at an earlier stage than otherwise would be desirable or on terms that are less favorable than might otherwise be available or relinquish or license on unfavorable terms our rights to our product candidates in markets where we otherwise would seek to pursue development or commercialization ourselves. Any of the above events could significantly harm our business, prospects, financial condition and results of operations and cause the price of our common stock to decline.
We have incurred net losses since inception, and we expect to continue to incur net losses for the foreseeable future. In addition, we may be unable to continue as a going concern over the long term.
We have incurred net losses in each reporting period since our inception, have not generated any revenue from product sales to date and have financed our operations principally through sales of shares of our common stock pursuant to sales of our common stock and pre-funded warrants to purchase our common stock to selected institutional and accredited investors in private placement transactions, at-the-market offerings, our initial public offering and private financings.
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We have incurred net losses of $129.5 million and $96.7 million for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. We had an accumulated deficit of $435.1 million as of December 31, 2024. Our losses have resulted principally from expenses incurred in research and development of palazestrant, OP-3136 and from management and administrative costs and other expenses that we have incurred while building our business infrastructure. Our lead product candidate, palazestrant, is in clinical trials. As a result, we expect that it will be several years, if ever, before we have a commercialized product and generate revenue from product sales. Even if we succeed in receiving marketing approval for and commercializing palazestrant in one of our lead indications, we expect that we will continue to incur substantial research and development and other expenses as we continue the clinical development programs for palazestrant in other indications or for OP-3136.
While our expenses may fluctuate from period to period, we generally expect to continue to incur increased expenses and operating losses for the foreseeable future as we continue our research and development efforts and seek to obtain regulatory approval for palazestrant or OP-3136. The net losses we incur may fluctuate significantly from quarter to quarter such that a period-to-period comparison of our results of operations may not be a good indication of our future performance. The size of our future net losses will depend, in part, on the rate of future growth of our expenses and our ability to generate revenue. Our prior losses and expected future losses have had, and will continue to have, an adverse effect on our working capital. In any particular period, our operating results could be below the expectations of securities analysts or investors, which could cause our stock price to decline.
In addition, our consolidated financial statements for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023 included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K have been prepared assuming we will continue as a going concern. However, we have incurred losses and negative cash flows from operations. As a development stage company, we expect to incur significant and increasing losses until regulatory approval is granted for palazestrant or OP-3136. Regulatory approval is not guaranteed and may never be obtained. As a result, these conditions raise substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern over the long term.
We have never generated revenue from product sales and may never be profitable.
Our ability to generate revenue from product sales and achieve profitability depends on our ability, alone or with our collaboration partners, to successfully complete the development of, and obtain the regulatory approvals necessary to commercialize, palazestrant, OP-3136 and any future product candidates we may develop. We do not anticipate generating revenue from product sales for the next several years, if ever. Our ability to generate revenue from product sales depends heavily on our and our current and potential future collaborators’ success in:
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Even if palazestrant, OP-3136 or any future product candidate that we may develop is approved for commercial sale, we anticipate incurring significant costs associated with commercializing any approved product candidate. Our expenses could increase beyond expectations if we are required by the FDA, EMA or other comparable regulatory authorities to perform clinical trials or non-clinical studies in addition to those that we currently anticipate. Even if we are able to generate revenue from the sale of any approved products, we may not become profitable and may need to obtain additional funding to continue operations.
The terms of the Loan Agreement place restrictions on our operating and financial flexibility. If we raise additional capital through debt financing, the terms of any new debt could further restrict our ability to operate our business.
In September 2023, we entered into a loan and security agreement (the Original Loan Agreement) with Silicon Valley Bank, a division of First-Citizens Bank & Trust Company (the Bank), providing us with an aggregate principal amount of up to $50.0 million (the Original Credit Facility).
In June 2024, we entered into the first amendment to loan and security agreement (the Amendment, and the Original Loan Agreement (as amended by the Amendment, the Loan Agreement), with the Bank. The Amendment amends the Original Loan Agreement in order to, among other things, increase the aggregate principal amount of the Original Credit Facility from up to $50.0 million to up to $100.0 million (the Credit Facility), of which $25.0 million was available as of December 31, 2024, an additional $25.0 million which will become available upon achievement of certain milestones related to execution of a first-line pivotal Phase 3 clinical trial of palazestrant in combination with ribociclib, and an additional $50.0 million which may be made available upon approval of the Bank in its discretion. The Credit Facility will mature on July 1, 2028.
Our overall leverage and certain obligations and affirmative and negative covenants contained in the Loan Agreement and related documentation could adversely affect our financial health and business and future operations by limiting our ability to, among other things, satisfy our obligations under the Loan Agreement, refinance our debt on terms acceptable to us or at all, plan for and adjust to changing business, industry and market conditions, use our available cash flow to fund future acquisitions and make dividend payments, and obtain additional financing for working capital, to fund growth or for general corporate purposes, even when necessary to maintain adequate liquidity.
If we default under the Loan Agreement, the Bank may accelerate all of our repayment obligations and exercise all of its rights and remedies under the Loan Agreement and applicable law, potentially requiring us to renegotiate our agreement on terms less favorable to us. Further, if we are liquidated, the lenders’ right to repayment would be senior to the rights of the holders of our common stock to receive any proceeds from the liquidation. The Bank could declare a default upon the occurrence of customary events of default, including, but not limited to, nonpayment of principal, interest, fees or other amounts; material inaccuracy of a representation or warranty; failure to perform or observe covenants; cross-defaults with certain other indebtedness; bankruptcy and insolvency events; material monetary judgment defaults; material adverse change occurs; delisting; and a material impairment in the Bank’s security interest. Upon the occurrence of an event of default (subject, in certain cases, to notice and grace periods), obligations under the Loan Agreement may be accelerated thereby requiring us to repay the loan immediately. Any declaration by the lender of an event of default could significantly harm our business and prospects and could cause the price of our common stock to decline. Additionally, if we raise any additional debt financing, the terms of such additional debt could further restrict our operating and financial flexibility.
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Risks related to the discovery, development and commercialization of our product candidates
We are substantially dependent on the success of our lead product candidate, palazestrant, which is currently in clinical development. If we are unable to complete development of, obtain regulatory approval for and commercialize palazestrant in one or more indications and in a timely manner, our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects will be significantly harmed.
Our future success is heavily dependent on our ability to timely complete clinical trials, obtain marketing approval for and successfully commercialize palazestrant, our lead product candidate. We expect that a substantial portion of our efforts and expenses over the next several years will be devoted to the development of palazestrant in our ongoing clinical trials in multiple indications. We are investing significant efforts and financial resources in the research and development of palazestrant. Palazestrant will require additional clinical development, evaluation of clinical, non-clinical and manufacturing activities, marketing approval from regulatory authorities, and significant marketing efforts before we can generate any revenues from product sales. We are not permitted to market or promote palazestrant before we receive marketing approval from the FDA and comparable foreign regulatory authorities, and we may never receive such marketing approvals. Should our planned clinical development of palazestrant in our lead indications fail to be completed in a timely manner or at all, we will need to rely on our ongoing and planned clinical development of palazestrant in additional indications, which will require more time and resources to obtain regulatory approval and proceed with commercialization and may ultimately be unsuccessful.
We cannot assure you that our planned clinical development programs for palazestrant will be completed in a timely manner, or at all, or that we will be able to obtain approval for palazestrant from the FDA, European Commission (based on the positive opinion of the EMA’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use), or any comparable foreign regulatory authority. If we are unable to complete development of, obtain regulatory approval for and commercialize palazestrant in one or more indications and in a timely manner, our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects will be significantly harmed.
Clinical development is a lengthy and expensive process with an uncertain outcome, and results of earlier studies and trials may not be predictive of future trial results. Failure can occur at any stage of clinical development. We have never completed a pivotal clinical trial or submitted a New Drug Application (NDA) to the FDA or similar drug approval filings to comparable foreign authorities. If we are ultimately unable to obtain regulatory approval for palazestrant, OP-3136 or any future product candidates we may develop, we will be unable to generate product revenue and our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects will be significantly harmed.
Clinical testing is expensive and can take many years to complete, and its outcome is inherently uncertain. Failure can occur at any time during the clinical trial process. The results of non-clinical studies and clinical trials of palazestrant, OP-3136 and any future product candidates we may develop may not be predictive of the results of subsequent clinical trials. We have a limited operating history and to date have not demonstrated our ability to complete large-scale clinical trials.
Product candidates in later stages of clinical trials may fail to show the desired safety and efficacy traits despite having progressed through non-clinical studies and initial clinical trials. In addition to the safety and efficacy traits of any product candidate, clinical trial failures may result from a multitude of factors including flaws in trial design, dose selection, placebo effect and patient enrollment criteria. A number of companies in the biopharmaceutical industry have suffered significant setbacks in advanced clinical trials due to lack of efficacy or adverse safety profiles, notwithstanding promising results in earlier trials. Based upon negative or inconclusive results, we or any potential future collaborator may decide, or regulators may require us, to conduct additional clinical trials or non-clinical studies. In addition, data obtained from trials and studies are susceptible to varying interpretations, and regulators may not interpret our data as favorably as we do, which may delay, limit or prevent regulatory approval.
Our future clinical trials may not be successful. If any product candidate is found to be unsafe or lack efficacy, we will not be able to obtain regulatory approval for it and our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may be significantly harmed.
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In some instances, there can be significant variability in safety and/or efficacy results between different trials of the same product candidate due to numerous factors, including changes in trial protocols, differences in composition of the patient populations, adherence to the dosing regimen and other trial protocols and the dropout rate among clinical trial participants. Patients treated with palazestrant, OP-3136 or product candidates we may develop in the future may also be undergoing surgical, radiation and chemotherapy treatments and may be using other approved products or investigational new drugs, which can cause side effects or adverse events that are unrelated to palazestrant, OP-3136 or product candidates we may develop. As a result, assessments of efficacy can vary widely for a particular patient, and from patient to patient and site to site within a clinical trial. This subjectivity can increase the uncertainty of, and adversely impact, our clinical trial outcomes. We do not know whether any clinical trials we may conduct will demonstrate consistent or adequate efficacy and safety sufficient to obtain marketing approval to market palazestrant, OP-3136 or any future product candidates we may develop.
We do not know whether our current clinical trial of palazestrant, OP-3136 or any future clinical trials we may conduct will demonstrate consistent or adequate efficacy and safety to obtain regulatory approval to market palazestrant, OP-3136 or any future product candidates we may develop. Most product candidates that begin clinical trials are never approved by regulatory authorities for commercialization. If we are unable to bring palazestrant, OP-3136 or any future product candidates to market, our ability to create long-term stockholder value will be limited.
In addition, we may rely in part on non-clinical, clinical and quality data generated by CROs and other third parties for regulatory submissions for palazestrant or OP-3136. While we have or will have agreements governing these third parties’ services, we have limited influence over their actual performance. If these third parties do not make data available to us, or, if applicable, make regulatory submissions in a timely manner, our development programs may be significantly delayed, and we may need to conduct additional studies or collect additional data independently. In either case, our development costs would increase.
Moreover, non-clinical and clinical data are often susceptible to varying interpretations and analyses and many companies that believed their product candidates performed satisfactorily in non-clinical studies and clinical trials nonetheless failed to obtain FDA, European Commission or comparable foreign regulatory authority approval. We cannot guarantee that the FDA or foreign regulatory authorities will interpret trial results as we do, and more trials could be required before we are able to submit an application seeking approval of palazestrant, OP-3136 or any future product candidates we may develop. To the extent that the results of the trials are not satisfactory to the FDA or foreign regulatory authorities for support of a marketing approval, we may be required to expend significant resources, which may not be available to us, to conduct additional trials in support of potential approval of palazestrant, OP-3136 or any future product candidates we may develop. Even if regulatory approval is secured for palazestrant or OP-3136, the terms of such approval may limit the scope and use of palazestrant or OP-3136, which may also limit its commercial potential. Furthermore, the approval policies or regulations of the FDA, European Commission or comparable foreign regulatory authorities may significantly change in a manner rendering our clinical data insufficient for approval, which may lead to the FDA, European Commission or comparable foreign regulatory authorities delaying, limiting or denying approval of palazestrant or OP-3136, including and any other indication we are seeking for approval under palazestrant or OP-3136.
The regulatory approval processes of the FDA, European Commission and comparable foreign authorities are lengthy, time consuming and inherently unpredictable, and if we are ultimately unable to obtain regulatory approval for palazestrant, OP-3136 or any future product candidates we may develop, our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects will be significantly harmed.
The time required to obtain approval by the FDA, European Commission and comparable foreign authorities is unpredictable but typically takes many years following the commencement of clinical trials and depends upon numerous factors, including the substantial discretion of the regulatory authorities. In addition, approval policies, regulations, or the type and amount of clinical data necessary to gain approval may change during the course of a product candidate’s clinical development and may vary among jurisdictions.
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Applications for palazestrant or OP-3136 could fail to receive regulatory approval for many reasons, including the following:
This lengthy approval process, as well as the unpredictability of the results of clinical trials, may result in our failing to obtain regulatory approval to market palazestrant or OP-3136, which would significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
In addition, even if we obtain approval of palazestrant or OP-3136 for a lead indication, regulatory authorities may not approve palazestrant or OP-3136 for other indications, may impose significant limitations in the form of narrow indications, warnings, or a Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS), or comparable foreign strategy. Certain regulatory authorities may grant approval contingent on the performance of costly post-marketing clinical trials or may approve palazestrant or OP-3136 with a label that does not include the labeling claims necessary or desirable for successful. In addition, regulatory authorities in certain countries may not approve the price we intend to charge for the product we develop. If we are unable to obtain regulatory approval of palazestrant or OP-3136, or if regulatory approval is limited, our business, financial condition, results of operation and prospects will be significantly harmed.
Delays in clinical trials are common and have many causes, and any delay could result in increased costs to us and jeopardize or delay our ability to obtain regulatory approval and commence product sales.
We may experience delays in clinical trials of palazestrant, OP-3136 or any future product candidate we may develop. Our planned clinical trials may not begin on time, have an effective design, enroll a sufficient number of patients, or be completed on schedule, if at all. Our clinical trials can be delayed for a variety of reasons, including delays related to:
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We could also encounter delays if a clinical trial is suspended, varied or terminated by us, by the IRBs or Ethics Committees of the institutions in which such trials are being conducted, by a Data Safety Monitoring Board for such trial or by the FDA, competent authorities of EU Member States or comparable foreign regulatory authorities.
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Such authorities may impose such a suspension, variation or termination due to a number of factors, including failure to conduct the clinical trial in accordance with regulatory requirements or our clinical protocols, inspection of the clinical trial operations or trial site by the FDA, competent authorities of EU Member States or comparable foreign regulatory authorities resulting in the imposition of a clinical hold, unforeseen safety issues or adverse side effects, failure to demonstrate a benefit from using a drug, changes in governmental regulations or administrative actions or lack of adequate funding to continue the clinical trial. In addition, changes in regulatory requirements and policies may occur, and we may need to amend clinical trial protocols to comply with these changes. Amendments may require us to resubmit our clinical trial protocols to IRBs, Ethics Committees, competent authorities of EU Member States for reexamination, which may impact the costs, timing or successful completion of a clinical trial.
Further, conducting clinical trials in foreign countries, as we may do for palazestrant, OP-3136 or product candidates we may develop in the future, presents additional risks that may delay completion of our clinical trials. These risks include the failure of enrolled patients in foreign countries to adhere to clinical protocol as a result of differences in healthcare services or cultural customs, managing additional administrative burdens associated with foreign regulatory schemes, as well as political and economic risks relevant to such foreign countries.
If we experience delays in the completion of, or termination of, any clinical trial of palazestrant, OP-3136 or any product candidates we may develop in the future, the commercial prospects of palazestrant, OP-3136 or any product candidates we may develop in the future will be harmed, and our ability to generate product revenues from palazestrant, OP-3136 or any product candidates we may develop in the future will be delayed. Moreover, any delays in completing our clinical trials will increase our costs, slow down palazestrant’s, OP-3136's or any product candidates we may develop in the future’s development and approval process and jeopardize our ability to commence product sales and generate revenues.
In addition, many of the factors that cause, or lead to, termination, variation or suspension of, or a delay in the commencement or completion of, clinical trials may also ultimately lead to the denial of regulatory approval of palazestrant, OP-3136 or any product candidates we may develop in the future. Any delays in our clinical trials that occur as a result could shorten any period during which we may have the exclusive right to commercialize palazestrant, OP-3136 or any product candidates we may develop in the future and our competitors may be able to bring products to market before we do, and the commercial viability of palazestrant, OP-3136 or any product candidates we may develop in the future could be significantly reduced. Any of these occurrences may significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
Although we have received Fast Track designation for palazestrant for ER+/HER2- metastatic breast cancer that has progressed following one or more lines of endocrine therapy with at least one line given in combination with a CDK4/6 inhibitor, we may be unable to obtain or maintain the benefits associated with such designation.
In July 2022, we were granted FDA Fast Track designation for palazestrant for ER+/HER2- metastatic breast cancer that has progressed following one or more lines of endocrine therapy with at least one line given in combination with a CDK4/6 inhibitor. If a drug is intended for the treatment of a serious or life-threatening condition and demonstrates the potential to address unmet medical needs for this condition, the sponsor may apply for FDA Fast Track designation for a particular indication. NDAs submitted for Fast Track designated drugs may qualify for priority review, accelerated approval and rolling submission under the policies and procedures offered by the FDA, but the Fast Track designation does not assure any such qualification or ultimate marketing approval by the FDA. In addition, we may not experience a faster development process, review or approval compared to conventional FDA procedures, and receiving a Fast Track designation does not provide assurance of ultimate FDA approval.
Because we are pursuing a variety of target indications for palazestrant, we may expend our limited resources to pursue a particular indication and fail to capitalize on indications or additional product candidates that may be more profitable or for which there is a greater likelihood of success.
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We are currently focused on pursuing a variety of target indications for palazestrant, and we have expended, and plan to continue to expend, significant resources to pursue these and other indications for palazestrant. We also may in the future spend our resources on other research programs and product candidates for specific indications that ultimately do not yield any commercially viable products. If we do not accurately evaluate the commercial potential or target market for a particular product candidate, we may relinquish valuable rights to that product candidate through collaboration, licensing or other royalty arrangements in cases in which it would have been more advantageous for us to retain sole development and commercialization rights.
Because we have limited financial and managerial resources, we must focus our research and development efforts on those product candidates and specific indications that we believe are the most promising. As a result, we may forego or delay pursuit of opportunities with other product candidates or other indications that later prove to have greater commercial potential. Our resource allocation decisions may cause us to fail to capitalize on viable commercial products or profitable market opportunities, which will significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
Even if approved, palazestrant or OP-3136 may not achieve adequate market acceptance among physicians, patients, healthcare payors and others in the medical community necessary for commercial success.
Even if palazestrant or OP-3136 receives regulatory approval, it may not gain adequate market acceptance among physicians, patients, healthcare payors and others in the medical community. The degree of market acceptance would depend on a number of factors, including:
If palazestrant or OP-3136 is approved but does not achieve an adequate level of acceptance by physicians, hospitals, healthcare payors and patients, we may not generate or derive sufficient revenue, which could significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
If we experience delays or difficulties in the enrollment and/or maintenance of patients in clinical trials, our clinical development activities could be delayed or otherwise adversely affected.
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Patient enrollment is a significant factor in the timing of clinical trials, and the timing of our clinical trials depends, in part, on the speed at which we can recruit patients to participate in our trials, as well as completion of required follow-up periods. We may not be able to initiate or continue clinical trials for palazestrant, OP-3136 or any future product candidate we may develop, if we are unable to locate and enroll a sufficient number of eligible patients to participate in these trials to such trial’s conclusion as required by the FDA, EMA, the European Commission or other comparable foreign regulatory authorities. Additionally, certain clinical trials for future product candidates may be focused on indications with relatively small patient populations, which may further limit enrollment of eligible patients or may result in slower enrollment than we anticipate. The eligibility criteria of our clinical trials, once established, may further limit the pool of available trial participants.
Patient enrollment may also be affected if our competitors have ongoing clinical trials for product candidates that are under development for the same indications as palazestrant, OP-3136 or any future product candidate we may develop, and patients who would otherwise be eligible for our clinical trials instead enroll in clinical trials of our competitors’ product candidates. Patient enrollment for any of our clinical trials may be affected by other factors, including:
Our inability to enroll and maintain a sufficient number of patients for our clinical trials would result in significant delays or may require us to abandon one or more clinical trials altogether. Enrollment delays in our clinical trials may result in increased development costs for palazestrant, OP-3136 or any future product candidate we may develop and jeopardize our ability to obtain marketing approval for the sale of palazestrant, OP-3136 or any product candidate we may develop in the future. Furthermore, even if we are able to enroll a sufficient number of patients for our clinical trials, we may have difficulty maintaining enrollment of such patients in our clinical trials.
We intend to develop palazestrant, and may develop OP-3136 or future product candidates, in combination with other therapies, which exposes us to additional risks.
We intend to develop palazestrant, and may develop OP-3136 or other future product candidates, in combination with one or more other approved or unapproved therapies to treat cancer or other diseases. For example, we have a Phase 1/2 clinical study of palazestrant in a combination trial with a CDK4/6 inhibitor, and additional Phase 1/2 clinical studies of palazestrant in combination with another CDK4/6 inhibitor and with a PI3Ka inhibitor. We also expect to initiate OPERA-02, a proposed Phase 3 clinical trial of palazestrant in combination with a CDK4/6 inhibitor, ribociclib, in 2025.
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Even if palazestrant, OP-3136 or any future product candidate we develop, were to receive marketing approval or be commercialized for use in combination with other existing therapies, we would continue to be subject to the risks that the FDA, the European Commission or comparable foreign regulatory authorities could revoke approval of the therapy used in combination with our product or that safety, efficacy, manufacturing or supply issues could arise with any of those existing therapies. If the therapies we use in combination with palazestrant, OP-3136 or any future product candidate we may develop, are replaced as the standard of care for the indications we choose for palazestrant, OP-3136 or any future product candidate we may develop, the FDA, the European Commission or comparable foreign regulatory authorities may require us to conduct additional clinical trials. The occurrence of any of these risks could result in our own product, if approved, being removed from the market or being less successful commercially.
We also may choose to evaluate palazestrant, OP-3136 or future product candidates in combination with one or more cancer therapies that have not yet been approved for marketing by the FDA, European Commission or comparable foreign regulatory authorities. We will not be able to market and sell palazestrant, OP-3136 or any future product candidate we may develop, in combination with an unapproved cancer therapy for a combination indication if that unapproved therapy does not ultimately obtain marketing approval either alone or in combination with our product. In addition, unapproved cancer therapies face the same risks described with respect to palazestrant or OP-3136 currently in development and clinical trials, including the potential for serious adverse effects, delay in their clinical trials and lack of FDA, European Commission or comparable foreign regulatory approval.
If the FDA, European Commission or comparable foreign regulatory authorities do not approve these other drugs or revoke their approval of, or if safety, efficacy, quality, manufacturing or supply issues arise with, the drugs we choose to evaluate in combination with palazestrant, OP-3136 or future product candidates we may develop, we may be unable to obtain approval of or market such combination therapy.
Risks associated with the in-licensing or acquisition of drug candidates could cause substantial delays in the pre-clinical and clinical development of our drug candidates.
We have previously in-licensed product candidates, and we may acquire or in-license potential product candidates for in the future, as we continue to build our pipeline. Such arrangements with third parties may impose diligence, development and commercialization obligations, milestone payments, royalty payments, indemnification and other obligations on us. Our obligations to pay milestone, royalty and other payments to our licensor may be substantial, and the amount and timing of such payments may impact our ability to progress the development and commercialization of our product candidates. Our rights to use any licensed intellectual property may be subject to the continuation of and our compliance with the terms of any such agreements.
Disputes over intellectual property and other rights that we have licensed or acquired, or may license or acquire in the future, from third parties could prevent or impair our ability to maintain any such arrangements on acceptable terms, result in delays in the commencement or completion of our pre-clinical studies and clinical trials and impact our ability to successfully develop and commercialize the affected product candidates. If we fail to comply with our obligations under any licensing agreements, these agreements may be terminated or the scope of our rights under them may be reduced and we might be unable to develop, manufacture or market any product that is licensed under these agreements.
The incidence and prevalence for target patient populations of palazestrant and OP-3136 are based on estimates and third-party sources. If the market opportunities for palazestrant, OP-3136 or any future product candidate we may develop, if and when approved, are smaller than we estimate or if any approval that we obtain is based on a narrower definition of the patient population, our revenue and ability to achieve profitability might be materially and adversely affected.
Periodically, we make estimates regarding the incidence and prevalence of target patient populations for particular diseases based on various third-party sources and internally generated analysis and use such estimates in making decisions regarding our drug development strategy, including acquiring or in-licensing product candidates and determining indications on which to focus in non-clinical or clinical trials.
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The incidence and prevalence for target patient populations of palazestrant or OP-3136 are based on estimates and third-party sources. These estimates may be inaccurate or based on imprecise data. For example, the total addressable market opportunity will depend on, among other things, acceptance of our drugs by the medical community and patient access, drug pricing and reimbursement. The number of patients in the addressable markets may turn out to be lower than expected, patients may not be otherwise amenable to treatment with our drugs, or new patients may become increasingly difficult to identify or gain access to. If the market opportunities for palazestrant, OP-3136 or any future product candidate we may develop, if and when approved, are smaller than we estimate or if any approval that we obtain is based on a narrower definition of the patient population, our revenue and ability to achieve profitability might be materially and adversely affected.
Interim, initial, “top-line” and preliminary data from our clinical trials that we announce or publish from time to time may change as more patient data become available and are subject to audit and verification procedures that could result in material changes in the final data.
From time to time, we may publicly disclose preliminary or top-line data from our non-clinical studies and clinical trials, which is based on a preliminary analysis of then-available data, and the results and related findings and conclusions are subject to change following a more comprehensive review of the data related to the particular study or trial. We also make assumptions, estimations, calculations and conclusions as part of our analyses of data, and we may not have received or had the opportunity to fully and carefully evaluate all data. As a result, the top-line or preliminary results that we report may differ from future results of the same studies, or different conclusions or considerations may qualify such results, once additional data have been received and fully evaluated. Top-line data also remain subject to audit and verification procedures that may result in the final data being materially different from the preliminary data we previously published. As a result, top-line data should be viewed with caution until the final data are available.
From time to time, we may also disclose interim data from our clinical trials. Interim data from clinical trials that we may complete are subject to the risk that one or more of the clinical outcomes may materially change as patient enrollment continues and more patient data become available or as patients from our clinical trials continue other treatments for their disease. Adverse differences between preliminary or interim data and final data could significantly harm our business prospects. Further, disclosure of interim data by us has resulted and disclosure of interim data by us or by our competitors could in the future result in volatility in the price of our common stock.
Further, others, including regulatory authorities, may not accept or agree with our assumptions, estimates, calculations, conclusions or analyses or may interpret or weigh the importance of data differently, which could impact the value of our particular program, the approvability or commercialization of our particular product candidate or product and our company in general. In addition, the information we choose to publicly disclose regarding a particular study or clinical trial is based on what is typically extensive information, and you or others may not agree with what we determine is material or otherwise appropriate information to include in our disclosure.
If the interim, top-line, or preliminary data that we report differ from actual results, or if others, including regulatory authorities, disagree with the conclusions reached, our ability to obtain approval for, and commercialize, palazestrant, OP-3136 or any future product candidates we may develop may be harmed, which could significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
We face significant competition, and if our competitors develop and market technologies or products more rapidly than we do or that are more effective, safer or less expensive than palazestrant, OP-3136 or product candidates we may develop in the future, our commercial opportunities will be negatively impacted.
The biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries are characterized by rapidly advancing technologies, intense competition and a strong emphasis on proprietary and novel products and product candidates. Our competitors have developed, are developing or may develop products, product candidates and processes competitive with palazestrant or OP-3136. Any product candidate that we successfully develop and commercialize will compete with existing therapies and new therapies that may become available in the future.
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We believe that a significant number of products are currently under development, and may become commercially available in the future, for the treatment of conditions for which we are attempting to develop palazestrant and OP-3136. Products we may develop in the future are also likely to face competition from other products and therapies, some of which we may not currently be aware. In addition, palazestrant, OP-3136 and any product candidate that we may develop in the future may need to compete with off-label drugs used by physicians to treat the indications for which we seek approval. This may make it difficult for us to replace existing therapies with palazestrant, OP-3136 and any product candidate that we may develop in the future.
In particular, there is intense competition in the field of women’s cancer which we are pursuing. We have competitors both in the United States and internationally, including major multinational pharmaceutical companies, established biotechnology companies, specialty pharmaceutical companies, emerging and start-up companies, government authorities, universities and other research institutions. We also compete with these organizations to recruit management, scientists and clinical development personnel, which could negatively affect our level of expertise and our ability to execute our business plan. We will also face competition in establishing clinical trial sites, enrolling subjects for clinical trials and in identifying and in-licensing new product candidates.
For example, if we are successful in developing palazestrant, it may compete against existing products and product candidates in development, to the extent any such product candidates are approved, for the treatment of estrogen receptor- positive (ER+) breast cancer, including fulvestrant, marketed as Faslodex® by AstraZeneca PLC and or any generic equivalents of Faslodex® that are marketed or in development; elacestrant, marketed as ORSERDUTMby Stemline Therapeutics Inc.; giredestrant (GDC-9545), being developed by Roche Holding AG/Genentech, Inc.; camizestrant (AZD9833), being developed by AstraZeneca PLC; imlunestrant (LY3484356), being developed by Eli Lilly and Co.; vepdegestrant (ARV-471), being developed by Arvinas, Inc. in partnership with Pfizer, Inc.; and lasofoxifene, being developed by Sermonix Pharmaceuticals. There are also a number of KAT6 inhibitor product candidates in development that may compete with OP-3136 including PF-07248144, which is being developed by Pfizer, and MEN2312, which is being developed by Stemline Therapeutics.
We have chosen to initially address well-validated biochemical targets, and therefore expect to face competition from existing products and products in development. There are a large number of companies developing or marketing treatments for cancer, including many major pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. Many of these current and potential competitors may have significantly greater financial, manufacturing, commercial, clinical development, research and technical and human resources expertise than we do. Large pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, in particular, have extensive experience in clinical testing, obtaining regulatory approvals, recruiting patients and manufacturing biotechnology products. These companies also have significantly greater research and marketing capabilities than we do and may also have products that have been approved or are in late stages of development, and collaborative arrangements in our target markets with leading companies and research institutions. Established pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies may also invest heavily to accelerate discovery and development of novel compounds or to in-license novel compounds that could make the product candidate that we develop obsolete. Smaller or early-stage companies may also prove to be significant competitors, particularly through collaborative arrangements with large and established companies, as well as in acquiring technologies complementary to, or necessary for, our programs. As a result of all of these factors, our competitors may succeed in obtaining approval from the FDA, the European Commission or other comparable foreign regulatory authorities or in discovering, developing and commercializing products in our field before we do.
Our commercial opportunity could be reduced or eliminated if our competitors develop and commercialize products that are safer, more effective, have fewer or less severe side effects, are more convenient, have a broader label, are marketed more effectively, receive greater levels of reimbursement or are less expensive than products we may develop. Our competitors also may obtain marketing approval from the FDA, the European Commission or other comparable foreign regulatory authorities for their products more rapidly than we may obtain approval for ours, which could result in our competitors establishing a strong market position before we are able to enter the market. Even if palazestrant, OP-3136 or other product candidates we may develop in the future achieve marketing approval, they may be priced at a significant premium over competitive products if any have been approved by then, resulting in reduced competitiveness.
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Technological advances or products developed by our competitors may render our technologies or palazestrant, OP-3136 or product candidates we may develop in the future obsolete, less competitive or not economical. If we are unable to compete effectively, our opportunity to generate revenue from the sale of our product we may develop, if approved, would be adversely affected.
Changes in methods of palazestrant manufacturing or formulation may result in additional costs or delay.
As palazestrant progresses through non-clinical and clinical trials to potential marketing approval and commercialization, it is common that various aspects of the development program, such as manufacturing methods and formulation, are altered along the way in an effort to optimize yield and manufacturing batch size, minimize costs and achieve consistent quality and results. Such changes carry the risk that they will not achieve these intended objectives. Any of these changes could cause palazestrant to perform differently and affect the results of planned clinical trials or other future clinical trials conducted with the altered materials. This could delay completion of clinical trials, require the conduct of bridging clinical trials or the repetition of one or more clinical trials, increase clinical trial costs, delay approval of palazestrant and jeopardize our ability to commercialize palazestrant, if approved, and generate revenue.
Any product candidate we develop may become subject to unfavorable third-party coverage and reimbursement practices, as well as pricing regulations.
The availability and extent of coverage and adequate reimbursement by third-party payors, including government health administration authorities, private health coverage insurers, managed care organizations and other third-party payors is essential for most patients to be able to afford expensive treatments. If we obtain marketing approval of palazestrant, OP-3136 or any future product candidate we may develop, sales of such product will depend substantially, both in the United States and internationally, on the extent to which the costs of the product will be covered and reimbursed by third-party payors. If reimbursement is not available, or is available only at inadequate levels, we may not be able to successfully commercialize palazestrant, OP-3136 or any future product candidates we may develop. Even if coverage is provided, the approved reimbursement amount may not be high enough to allow us to establish or maintain pricing sufficient to realize an adequate return on our investment. Coverage and reimbursement may impact the demand for, or the price of, any product candidate for which we obtain marketing approval. If coverage and reimbursement are not available or reimbursement is available only to limited levels, we may not successfully commercialize any product candidate for which we obtain marketing approval.
There is significant uncertainty related to third-party payor coverage and reimbursement of newly approved products. In the United States, for example, principal decisions about reimbursement for new products are typically made by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). CMS decides whether and to what extent a new product will be covered and reimbursed under Medicare, and private third-party payors often follow CMS’s decisions regarding coverage and reimbursement to a substantial degree. However, one third-party payor’s determination to provide coverage for a product candidate does not assure that other payors will also provide coverage for the product candidate. Moreover, eligibility for reimbursement does not imply that any drug will be paid for in all cases or at a rate that covers our costs, including research, development, manufacture, sale and distribution. Interim reimbursement levels for new drugs, if applicable, may also not be sufficient to cover our costs and may not be made permanent. Reimbursement rates may vary according to the use of the drug and the clinical setting in which it is used, may be based on reimbursement levels already set for lower cost drugs and may be incorporated into existing payments for other services. As a result, the coverage determination process is often time-consuming and costly. This process will require us to provide scientific and clinical support for the use of our product to each third-party payor separately, with no assurance that coverage and adequate reimbursement will be applied consistently or obtained in the first instance.
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A primary trend in the U.S. healthcare industry and elsewhere is cost containment. Government authorities and third-party payors have attempted to control costs by limiting coverage and the amount of reimbursement for particular products and requiring substitutions of generic products and/or biosimilars. Increasingly, third-party payors are requiring that drug companies provide them with predetermined discounts from list prices and are challenging the prices charged for medical products. Further, such payors are increasingly examining the medical necessity and reviewing the cost effectiveness of medical product candidates. There may be especially significant delays in obtaining coverage and reimbursement for newly approved drugs. Third-party payors may limit coverage to specific product candidates on an approved list, known as a formulary, which might not include all FDA- approved drugs for a particular indication. We may need to conduct expensive pharmaco-economic studies to demonstrate the medical necessity and cost effectiveness of our product. Nonetheless, palazestrant, OP-3136 or any future product candidates we may develop may not be considered medically necessary or cost effective. We cannot be sure that coverage and reimbursement will be available for any product that we commercialize and, if reimbursement is available, what the level of reimbursement will be.
Outside the United States, international operations are generally subject to extensive governmental price controls and other market regulations, and we believe the increasing emphasis on cost containment initiatives in European countries, Canada and other countries has and will continue to put pressure on the pricing and usage of therapeutics such as palazestrant, OP-3136 or any future product candidates we may develop. In many countries, including EU Member States, medical product prices are subject to varying price control mechanisms as part of national health systems. In these countries, pricing negotiations with governmental authorities can take considerable time after a product receives marketing approval. To obtain reimbursement or pricing approval in some countries, we may be required to conduct a clinical trial that compares the cost-effectiveness of palazestrant, OP-3136 or any future product candidates we may develop to other available therapies. In general, product prices under such systems are substantially lower than in the United States. Other countries allow companies to fix their own prices for products but monitor and control company profits. Additional foreign price controls or other changes in pricing regulation could restrict the amount that we are able to charge for palazestrant, OP-3136 or any future product candidates we may develop. Accordingly, in markets outside the United States, the reimbursement for any product that we commercialize may be reduced compared with the United States and may be insufficient to generate commercially reasonable revenue and profits.
If we are unable to establish or sustain coverage and adequate reimbursement for any product candidates that we commercialize from third-party payors, the adoption of those products and potential sales revenue would be adversely affected, which, in turn, could adversely affect the ability to market or sell those product candidates, if approved. Coverage policies and third-party payor reimbursement rates may change at any time. Even if favorable coverage and reimbursement status is attained for a product for which we receive regulatory approval, less favorable coverage policies and reimbursement rates may be implemented in the future.
Guidelines and recommendations published by various organizations can reduce the use of palazestrant, OP-3136 or any future product candidates we may develop.
Government authorities promulgate regulations and guidelines directly applicable to us and to palazestrant, OP-3136 or any future product candidates we may develop. In addition, professional societies, such as practice management groups, private health and science foundations and organizations involved in various diseases from time to time may also publish guidelines or recommendations to the healthcare and patient communities. Recommendations of government authorities or these other groups or organizations may relate to such matters as usage, dosage, route of administration and use of concomitant therapies. Recommendations or guidelines suggesting the reduced use of palazestrant, OP-3136 or any future product candidates we may develop or the use of competitive or alternative products as the standard of care to be followed by patients and healthcare providers could result in decreased use of palazestrant, OP-3136 or any future product candidates we may develop.
Risks related to regulatory approval and other legal compliance matters
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We may be unable to obtain U.S. or foreign regulatory approvals and, as a result, may be unable to commercialize palazestrant, OP-3136 or any future product candidate we may develop.
Palazestrant and OP-3136 are, and any product candidate we develop in the future will be, subject to extensive governmental regulations relating to, among other things, research, testing, development, manufacturing, safety, efficacy, approval, recordkeeping, reporting, labeling, storage, packaging, advertising and promotion, pricing, marketing and distribution of drugs. Rigorous non-clinical testing and clinical trials and an extensive regulatory approval process must be successfully completed in the United States and in many foreign jurisdictions before a new drug can be marketed. Satisfaction of these and other regulatory requirements is costly, time-consuming, uncertain and subject to unanticipated delays. We cannot provide any assurance that palazestrant, OP-3136 or any product candidate we may develop will progress through required clinical testing and obtain the regulatory approvals necessary for us to begin selling them.
We have not conducted, managed or completed large-scale or pivotal clinical trials nor managed the regulatory approval process with the FDA or any other regulatory authority. The time required to obtain approvals from the FDA and other regulatory authorities is unpredictable and requires successful completion of extensive clinical trials which typically takes many years, depending upon the type, complexity and novelty of the product candidate. The standards that the FDA, EMA, the European Commission or other comparable foreign regulatory authorities use when evaluating clinical trial data can, and often does, change during drug development, which makes it difficult to predict with any certainty how they will be applied. We may also encounter unexpected delays or increased costs due to new government regulations, including future legislation or administrative action, or changes in FDA, EMA, the European Commission or other comparable foreign regulatory authorities’ policies during the period of drug development, clinical trials and FDA, EMA, the European Commission or other comparable foreign regulatory authorities’ regulatory review.
Any delay or failure in seeking or obtaining required approvals would have a material and adverse effect on our ability to generate revenue from the particular product candidate for which we are developing and seeking approval. Furthermore, any regulatory approval to market a drug may be subject to significant limitations on the approved uses or indications for which we may market the drug or the labeling or other restrictions. In addition, the FDA has the authority to require a REMS as part of approving a NDA, or after approval, which may impose further requirements or restrictions on the distribution or use of an approved drug. These requirements or restrictions might include limiting prescribing to certain physicians or medical centers that have undergone specialized training, limiting treatment to patients who meet certain safe-use criteria and requiring treated patients to enroll in a registry. These limitations and restrictions may significantly limit the size of the market for the drug and affect reimbursement by third-party payors.
We may also become subject to numerous foreign regulatory requirements governing, among other things, the conduct of clinical trials and manufacturing of palazestrant or OP-3136. The foreign regulatory approval process varies among countries, and generally includes all of the risks associated with FDA approval described above as well as risks attributable to the satisfaction of local regulations in foreign jurisdictions. Moreover, the time required to obtain approval may differ from that required to obtain FDA approval.
Our business entails a significant risk of product liability and if we are unable to obtain sufficient insurance coverage, such inability could significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
Our business exposes us to significant product liability risks inherent in the development, testing, manufacturing and marketing of therapeutic treatments. Product liability claims could delay or prevent completion of our development programs. If we succeed in marketing products, such claims could result in an FDA, EMA, competent authorities of EU Member States, or other regulatory authority investigation of the safety and effectiveness of our product, our manufacturing processes and facilities or our marketing programs. The FDA, EMA, competent authorities of EU Member States or other regulatory authority investigations could potentially lead to a recall of our product or more serious enforcement action, limitations on the approved indications for which it may be used or suspension, variation, or withdrawal of approvals. Regardless of the merits or eventual outcome, liability claims may also result in decreased demand for our product, injury to our reputation, costs to defend the related litigation, a diversion of management’s time and our resources and substantial monetary awards to trial participants or patients.
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We currently have product liability insurance that we believe is appropriate for our stage of development and may need to obtain higher levels prior to marketing palazestrant or OP-3136, if approved. Any insurance we have or may obtain may not provide sufficient coverage against potential liabilities. Furthermore, clinical trial and product liability insurance is becoming increasingly expensive. As a result, we may be unable to obtain sufficient insurance at a reasonable cost to protect us against losses caused by product liability claims that could significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
Palazestrant, OP-3136 and any future product candidates we develop may cause significant adverse events, toxicities or other undesirable side effects when used alone or in combination with other approved products or investigational new drugs that may result in a safety profile that could inhibit regulatory approval, prevent market acceptance, limit their commercial potential or result in significant negative consequences.
As is the case with pharmaceuticals generally, there have been side effects and adverse events associated with the use of palazestrant, and it is likely that there may be additional side effects and adverse events associated with the use of palazestrant, OP-3136 or any future product candidates we may develop. Results of our clinical trials could reveal a high and unacceptable severity and prevalence of side effects or unexpected characteristics. Undesirable side effects caused by palazestrant, OP-3136 or any future product candidates we may develop could cause us or regulatory authorities to interrupt, delay or halt clinical trials and could result in a more restrictive label or the delay or denial of regulatory approval by the FDA, the European Commission, or other comparable foreign regulatory authorities. The drug-related side effects could affect patient recruitment or the ability of enrolled patients to complete the trial or result in potential product liability claims. Any of these occurrences may significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
If palazestrant, OP-3136 or any future product candidates we may develop are associated with undesirable side effects or have unexpected characteristics in non-clinical studies or clinical trials when used alone or in combination with other approved products or investigational new drugs, we may need to interrupt, delay or abandon their development or limit development to more narrow uses or subpopulations in which the undesirable side effects or other characteristics are less prevalent, less severe or more acceptable from a risk-benefit perspective. Treatment-related side effects could also affect patient recruitment or the ability of enrolled subjects to complete a trial or result in potential product liability claims. Any of these occurrences may prevent us from achieving or maintaining market acceptance of the affected product candidate and may significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
Patients in our ongoing and planned clinical trials may in the future suffer significant adverse events or other side effects not observed in our non-clinical studies or previous clinical trials. Palazestrant, OP-3136 or any future product candidates we may develop, may be used as chronic therapies or be used in pediatric populations, for which safety concerns may be particularly scrutinized by regulatory authorities. In addition, if palazestrant, OP-3136 or any future product candidates we may develop, are used in combination with other therapies, palazestrant, OP-3136 or any future product candidates we may develop may exacerbate adverse events associated with the therapy and it may not be possible to determine whether it was caused by our product or the one with which it was combined. Patients treated with palazestrant, OP-3136 or any future candidates we may develop, may also be undergoing surgical, radiation and chemotherapy treatments, which can cause side effects or adverse events that are unrelated to palazestrant, OP-3136 or any future product candidates we may develop, but may still impact the success of our clinical trials. The inclusion of critically ill patients in our clinical trials may result in deaths or other adverse medical events due to other therapies or medications that such patients may be using or due to the gravity of such patients’ illnesses.
If significant adverse events or other side effects are observed in any of our current or future clinical trials, we may have difficulty recruiting patients to the clinical trials, patients may drop out of our trials, or we may be required to abandon the trials or our development efforts of that product candidate altogether. We, the FDA, competent authorities of EU Member States, other comparable regulatory authorities or an IRB or Ethics Committee may suspend, vary or terminate clinical trials of a product candidate at any time for various reasons, including a belief that subjects in such trials are being exposed to unacceptable health risks or adverse side effects.
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Some potential therapeutics developed in the biotechnology industry that initially showed therapeutic promise in early-stage trials have later been found to cause side effects that prevented their further development. Even if the side effects do not preclude the product candidate from obtaining or maintaining marketing approval, undesirable side effects may inhibit market acceptance due to its tolerability versus other therapies. Any of these developments could significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects. Further, if palazestrant or OP-3136 obtains marketing approval, toxicities associated with palazestrant or OP-3136 and not seen during clinical testing may also develop after such approval and lead to a requirement to conduct additional clinical safety trials, additional contraindications, warnings and precautions being added to the drug label, significant restrictions on the use of the product or the withdrawal of the product from the market. We cannot predict whether palazestrant or OP-3136 will cause toxicities in humans that would preclude or lead to the revocation of regulatory approval based on non-clinical studies or early-stage clinical trials.
The FDA, EMA, the European Commission and other comparable foreign regulatory authorities may not accept data from trials conducted in locations outside of their jurisdiction.
We currently plan to conduct international clinical trials and may choose to conduct additional international clinical trials in the future. The acceptance of study data by the FDA, EMA, the European Commission or other comparable foreign regulatory authority from clinical trials conducted outside of their respective jurisdictions may be subject to certain conditions. In cases where data from foreign clinical trials are intended to serve as the basis for marketing approval in the United States, the FDA will generally not approve the application on the basis of foreign data alone unless (1) the data are applicable to the United States population and United States medical practice; (2) the trials are performed by clinical investigators of recognized competence and pursuant to current GCP requirements; and (3) the FDA is able to validate the data through an on-site inspection or other appropriate means. Additionally, the FDA’s clinical trial requirements, including the adequacy of the patient population studied and statistical powering, must be met. In addition, such foreign trials would be subject to the applicable local laws of the foreign jurisdictions where the trials are conducted. There can be no assurance that the FDA, EMA, the European Commission or any applicable foreign regulatory authority will accept data from trials conducted outside of its applicable jurisdiction. If the FDA, EMA, the European Commission or any applicable foreign regulatory authority does not accept such data, it would result in the need for additional trials, which would be costly and time-consuming and delay aspects of our business plan, and which may result in palazestrant, OP-3136 or any future product candidates we may develop not receiving approval for commercialization in the applicable jurisdiction.
Obtaining and maintaining regulatory approval of palazestrant, OP-3136 or any product candidate we develop in the future, in one jurisdiction does not mean that we will be successful in obtaining regulatory approval of palazestrant, OP-3136 or any product candidate we develop in the future, in other jurisdictions.
Obtaining and maintaining regulatory approval of palazestrant, OP-3136 or any product candidate we develop in the future, in one jurisdiction does not guarantee that we will be able to obtain or maintain regulatory approval in any other jurisdiction. For example, even if the FDA, the European Commission or other foreign regulatory authority grants marketing approval of a product candidate, comparable regulatory authorities in foreign jurisdictions must also approve the manufacturing, marketing and promotion and reimbursement of the product candidate in those countries. However, a failure or delay in obtaining regulatory approval in one jurisdiction may have a negative effect on the regulatory approval process in others. Approval procedures vary among jurisdictions and can involve requirements and administrative review periods different from those in the United States, including additional non-clinical studies or clinical trials as clinical trials conducted in one jurisdiction may not be accepted by regulatory authorities in other jurisdictions. In many jurisdictions outside the United States, a product candidate must be approved for reimbursement before it can be approved for sale in that jurisdiction. In some cases, the price that we intend to charge for our product is also subject to approval.
Obtaining foreign regulatory approvals and establishing and maintaining compliance with foreign regulatory requirements could result in significant delays, difficulties and costs for us and could delay or prevent the introduction of our product in certain countries.
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If we or any future collaborator fail to comply with the regulatory requirements in international markets or fail to receive applicable marketing approvals, our target market will be reduced and our ability to realize the full market potential of palazestrant, OP-3136 or any product candidate we develop in the future, will be harmed.
Even if palazestrant, OP-3136 or any product candidate we develop in the future, receives regulatory approval, it will be subject to significant post-marketing regulatory requirements and oversight.
Any regulatory approvals that we may receive for palazestrant, OP-3136 or any product candidate we develop in the future, will require the submission of reports to regulatory authorities and surveillance to monitor the safety and efficacy of the product candidate, may contain significant limitations related to use restrictions for specified age groups, warnings, precautions or contraindications, and may include burdensome post-approval study or risk management requirements. For example, the FDA may require a REMS in order to approve palazestrant, which could entail requirements for a medication guide, physician training and communication plans or additional elements to ensure safe use, such as restricted distribution methods, patient registries and other risk minimization tools. In addition, if the FDA, the European Commission or applicable foreign regulatory authorities approve palazestrant, OP-3136 or any product candidate we develop in the future, the manufacturing processes, labeling, packaging, distribution, adverse event reporting, storage, advertising, promotion, import, export and recordkeeping for palazestrant or OP-3136 will be subject to extensive and ongoing regulatory requirements. These requirements include submissions of safety and other post-marketing information and reports, registration, as well as on-going compliance with cGMPs and GCP for any clinical trials that we conduct post-approval. In addition, manufacturers of drug products and their facilities are subject to continual review and periodic, unannounced inspections by the FDA and other regulatory authorities for compliance with cGMP regulations and standards. If we or a regulatory authority discover previously unknown problems with a product, such as adverse events of unanticipated severity or frequency, or problems with the facilities where the product is manufactured, a regulatory authority may impose restrictions on that product, the manufacturing facility or us, including requiring recall or withdrawal of the product from the market or suspension of manufacturing. In addition, failure to comply with FDA, EU and other foreign regulatory requirements may subject our company to administrative or judicially imposed sanctions, including:
The occurrence of any event or penalty described above may inhibit our ability to commercialize palazestrant, OP-3136 or any product candidate we may develop in the future and generate revenue and could require us to expend significant time and resources in response and could generate negative publicity.
The FDA’s and other regulatory authorities’ policies may change, and additional government regulations may be enacted that could prevent, limit or delay regulatory approval of palazestrant, OP-3136 or any product candidate we may develop in the future. If we are slow or unable to adapt to changes in existing requirements or the adoption of new requirements or policies, or if we are not able to maintain regulatory compliance, we may lose any marketing approval that we may have obtained, and we may not achieve or sustain profitability.
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The FDA and other regulatory authorities actively enforce the laws and regulations prohibiting the promotion of off-label uses.
If palazestrant, OP-3136 or any future product candidate we may develop is approved for marketing, and we are found to have improperly promoted off-label uses of those products, we may become subject to significant liability. The FDA and other regulatory authorities strictly regulate the promotional claims that may be made about prescription products, such as palazestrant, OP-3136 or any future product candidates we may develop, if approved. In particular, a product may not be promoted for uses that are not approved by the FDA or such other regulatory authorities as reflected in the product’s approved labeling. If we receive marketing approval for palazestrant, OP-3136 or any future product candidates we may develop, physicians may nevertheless prescribe it to their patients in a manner that is inconsistent with the approved label based on the physician’s independent medical judgment. If we are found to have promoted such off-label uses, we may become subject to significant liability. The U.S. federal government has levied large civil and criminal fines against companies for alleged improper promotion of off-label use and has enjoined several companies from engaging in off-label promotion. The FDA has also requested that companies enter into consent decrees or permanent injunctions under which specified promotional conduct is changed or curtailed. If we cannot successfully manage the promotion of palazestrant, OP-3136 or any future product candidates we may develop, if approved, we could become subject to significant liability, which would significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
Disruptions at the FDA, EMA, the European Commission applicable foreign regulatory authorities, the SEC, and other government agencies and regulatory authorities caused by funding shortages or global health concerns could hinder their ability to hire and retain key leadership and other personnel, or otherwise prevent new or modified products from being developed, approved or commercialized in a timely manner or at all, or otherwise prevent those authorities from performing normal business functions on which the operation of our business may rely, which could significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
The ability of the FDA, EMA, the European Commission or any applicable foreign regulatory authority to review and approve new products can be affected by a variety of factors, including, as applicable government budget and funding levels, ability to hire and retain key personnel and accept the payment of user fees, and statutory, regulatory, and policy changes, and other events that may otherwise affect the FDA, EMA, the European Commission, or any applicable foreign regulatory authority’s ability to perform routine functions. Average review times at the authorities have fluctuated in recent years as a result and could be delayed. In addition, government funding of the SEC and other government authorities on which our operations may rely, including those that fund research and development activities is subject to the political process, which is inherently fluid and unpredictable.
Disruptions at the FDA and other authorities may also slow the time necessary for new drugs to be reviewed and/or approved by necessary government authorities, which would adversely affect our business. If a prolonged government shutdown occurs, or if global health concerns continue to prevent the FDA or other regulatory authorities from conducting their regular inspections, reviews, or other regulatory activities, it could significantly impact the ability of the FDA to timely review and process our regulatory submissions, which could have a material adverse effect on our business.
We may attempt to secure approval from the FDA, the European Commission or comparable foreign regulatory authorities through the use of accelerated approval pathways. If we are unable to obtain such approval, we may be required to conduct additional non-clinical studies or clinical trials beyond those that we contemplate, which could increase the expense of obtaining, and delay the receipt of, necessary marketing approvals. Even if we receive approval from the FDA, the European Commission or comparable foreign regulatory authorities through accelerated approval pathways, if our confirmatory trials do not verify clinical benefit, or if we do not comply with rigorous post-marketing
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requirements, the FDA, the European Commission or comparable foreign regulatory authorities may seek to withdraw their approval.
We may in the future seek approval for palazestrant, OP-3136 or future product candidates we may develop through accelerated approval pathways. Under the accelerated approval program, the FDA may grant accelerated approval to a product candidate designed to treat a serious or life-threatening condition that provides meaningful therapeutic benefit over available therapies upon a determination that the product candidate has an effect on a surrogate endpoint or intermediate clinical endpoint that is reasonably likely to predict clinical benefit. The FDA considers a clinical benefit to be a positive therapeutic effect that is clinically meaningful in the context of a given disease, such as irreversible morbidity or mortality. For the purposes of accelerated approval, a surrogate endpoint is a marker, such as a laboratory measurement, radiographic image, physical sign, or other measure that is thought to predict clinical benefit but is not itself a measure of clinical benefit. An intermediate clinical endpoint is a clinical endpoint that can be measured earlier than an effect on irreversible morbidity or mortality that is reasonably likely to predict an effect on irreversible morbidity or mortality or other clinical benefit. The accelerated approval pathway may be used in cases in which the advantage of a new drug over available therapy may not be a direct therapeutic advantage but is a clinically important improvement from a patient and public health perspective. If granted, accelerated approval is usually contingent on the sponsor’s agreement to conduct, in a diligent manner, additional post-approval confirmatory studies to verify and describe the drug’s clinical benefit. Third-party payors may refuse to provide coverage or reimbursement for the drug until the confirmatory studies are complete. Additionally, if such post-approval studies fail to confirm the drug’s clinical benefit, the FDA may withdraw its approval of the drug.
Prior to seeking accelerated approval for palazestrant or OP-3136, we intend to seek feedback from the FDA and will otherwise evaluate our ability to seek and receive accelerated approval. There can be no assurance that after our evaluation of the feedback and other factors we will decide to pursue or submit an NDA for accelerated approval or any other form of expedited development, review or approval. Similarly, there can be no assurance that after subsequent FDA feedback we will continue to pursue or apply for accelerated approval or any other form of expedited development, review or approval, even if we initially decide to do so. Furthermore, if we decide to submit an application for accelerated approval or receive an expedited regulatory designation (e.g., breakthrough therapy designation) for palazestrant or OP-3136, there can be no assurance that such submission or application will be accepted or that any expedited development, review or approval will be granted on a timely basis, or at all. The FDA or other comparable foreign regulatory authorities could also require us to conduct further studies prior to considering our application or granting approval of any type. A failure to obtain accelerated approval or any other form of expedited development, review or approval for palazestrant or OP-3136 would result in a longer time period to commercialization of such product candidate, could increase the cost of development of palazestrant or OP-3136 and could harm our competitive position in the marketplace.
We may face difficulties from changes to current regulations and future legislation.
Existing regulatory policies may change, and additional regulations may be enacted that could prevent, limit or delay regulatory approval of palazestrant, OP-3136 or any future product candidates we may develop. We cannot predict the likelihood, nature or extent of government regulation that may arise from future legislation or administrative action, either in the United States or abroad. If we are slow or unable to adapt to changes in existing requirements or the adoption of new requirements or policies, or if we are not able to maintain regulatory compliance, we may lose any marketing approval that we may have obtained and we may not achieve or sustain profitability.
For example, in March 2010, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010, as amended by the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010, or collectively the ACA, was passed, which substantially changed the way healthcare is financed by both the government and private insurers and continues to significantly impact the U.S. pharmaceutical industry. There have been executive, judicial and Congressional challenges and amendments to certain aspects of the ACA. For example, on August 16, 2022, the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA) was signed into law, which among other things, extends enhanced subsidies for individuals purchasing health insurance coverage in ACA marketplaces through plan year 2025. The IRA also eliminates the “donut hole” under the Medicare Part D program beginning in 2025 by significantly lowering the beneficiary maximum out-of-pocket cost through a newly established manufacturer discount program.
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It is possible that the ACA will be subject to judicial or Congressional challenges in the future. It is unclear how any such challenges and the healthcare reform measures of the current administration will impact the ACA and our business.
In addition, other legislative changes have been proposed and adopted in the United States since the ACA was enacted. These changes included aggregate reductions to Medicare payments to providers of 2% per fiscal year, effective April 1, 2013, which, due to subsequent legislative amendments, will stay in effect until 2032 unless additional Congressional action is taken. Additionally, on March 11, 2021, the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 was signed into law, which eliminated the statutory Medicaid drug rebate cap, previously set at 100% of a drug’s average manufacturer price, for single source and innovator multiple source drugs, effective January 1, 2024. These laws may result in additional reductions in Medicare and other healthcare funding, which could have a material adverse effect on potential customers for our drugs, if approved, and accordingly, our business.
Moreover, there has been heightened governmental scrutiny recently over the manner in which drug manufacturers set prices for their marketed products, which has resulted in several presidential executive orders, Congressional inquiries and proposed and enacted federal and state legislation designed to, among other things, bring more transparency to product pricing, review the relationship between pricing and manufacturer patient programs, and reform government program reimbursement methodologies for drug products.
For example, the IRA, among other things, (1) directs the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to negotiate the price of certain high-expenditure single-source drugs that have been on the market for 7 years covered under Medicare (the Medicare Drug Negotiation Program) and (2) imposes rebates under Medicare Part B and Medicare Part D to penalize price increases that outpace inflation. These provisions began to take effect progressively in fiscal year 2023. On August 15, 2024, HHS announced the agreed-upon reimbursement price of the first ten drugs that were subject to price negotiations, although the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program is currently subject to legal challenges. On January 17, 2025, HHS selected fifteen additional products covered under Part D for price negotiation in 2025. Each year thereafter more Part B and Part D products will become subject to the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program. Further, on December 7, 2023, an initiative to control the price of prescription drugs through the use of march-in rights under the Bayh-Dole Act was announced. On December 8, 2023, the National Institute of Standards and Technology published for comment a Draft Interagency Guidance Framework for Considering the Exercise of March-In Rights which for the first time includes the price of a product as one factor an agency can use when deciding to exercise march-in rights. While march-in rights have not previously been exercised, it is uncertain if that will continue under the new framework. It is currently unclear how the IRA will be implemented but is likely to have a significant impact on the pharmaceutical industry.
At the state level, legislatures have increasingly passed legislation and implemented regulations designed to control pharmaceutical and biological product pricing, including price or patient reimbursement constraints, discounts, restrictions on certain product access and marketing cost disclosure and transparency measures, and, in some cases, designed to encourage importation from other countries and bulk purchasing. For example, on January 5, 2024, the FDA approved Florida’s SIP proposal to import certain drugs from Canada for specific state healthcare programs. It is unclear how this program will be implemented, including which drugs will be chosen, and whether it will be subject to legal challenges in the United States or Canada. Other states have also submitted SIP proposals that are pending review by the FDA. Any such approved importation plans, when implemented, may result in lower drug prices for products covered by those programs.
We cannot predict the likelihood, nature or extent of government regulation that may arise from future legislation or administrative action, either in the United States or abroad. As an example, the regulatory landscape related to clinical trials in the EU has evolved. The EU Clinical Trials Regulation (CTR), which was adopted in April 2014 and repeals the EU Clinical Trials Directive (CTD), became applicable on January 31, 2022. The CTR allows sponsors to make a single submission to both the competent authority and an ethics committee in each EU Member State, leading to a single decision for each EU Member State.
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The assessment procedure for the authorization of clinical trials has been harmonized as well, including a joint assessment by all EU Member States concerned, and a separate assessment by each EU Member State with respect to specific requirements related to its own territory, including ethics rules. Each EU Member State’s decision is communicated to the sponsor via the centralized EU portal. Once the clinical trial is approved, clinical study development may proceed. The CTR foresaw a three-year transition period that ended on January 31, 2025. Since this date, all new or ongoing trials are subject to the provisions of the CTR. Compliance with the CTR requirements by us and our third-party service providers, such as CROs, may impact our development plans.
Moreover, in order to obtain reimbursement for our products in some European countries, including some EU Member States, we may be required to compile additional data comparing the cost-effectiveness of our products to other available therapies. This Health Technology Assessment (HTA) of medicinal products is becoming an increasingly common part of the pricing and reimbursement procedures in some EU Member States, including those representing the larger markets. The HTA process is the procedure to assess therapeutic, economic, and societal impact of a given medicinal product in the national healthcare systems of the individual country. The outcome of an HTA will often influence the pricing and reimbursement status granted to these medicinal products by the competent authorities of individual EU Member States. The extent to which pricing and reimbursement decisions are influenced by the HTA of the specific medicinal product currently varies between EU Member States. In December 2021, Regulation No 2021/2282 on HTA was adopted in the EU. This Regulation, which entered into application on January 12, 2025 and has a phased implementation, is intended to boost cooperation among EU Member States in assessing health technologies, including new medicinal products, and providing the basis for cooperation at EU level for joint clinical assessments in these areas. The Regulation permits EU Member States to use common HTA tools, methodologies, and procedures across the EU, working together in four main areas, including joint clinical assessment of the innovative health technologies with the most potential impact for patients, joint scientific consultations whereby developers can seek advice from HTA authorities, identification of emerging health technologies to identify promising technologies early, and continuing voluntary cooperation in other areas. Individual EU Member States continue to be responsible for assessing non-clinical (e.g., economic, social, ethical) aspects of health technologies, and making decisions on pricing and reimbursement.
In light of the fact that the United Kingdom has left the EU, Regulation No 2021/2282 on HTA will not apply in the United Kingdom. However, the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulation Agency (MHRA) is working with UK HTA bodies and other national organizations, such as the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC), the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), and the All-Wales Medicines Strategy Group, to introduce new pathways supporting innovative approaches to the safe, timely and efficient development of medicinal products.
Legislators, policymakers and healthcare insurance funds in the EU and the United Kingdom may continue to propose and implement cost-containing measures to keep healthcare costs down, particularly due to the financial strain that the COVID-19 pandemic placed on national healthcare systems of European countries. These measures could include limitations on the prices we would be able to charge for product candidates that we may successfully develop and for which we may obtain regulatory approval or the level of reimbursement available for these products from governmental authorities or third-party payors. Further, an increasing number of EU and other foreign countries use prices for medicinal products established in other countries as “reference prices” to help determine the price of the product in their own territory. Consequently, a downward trend in prices of medicinal products in some countries could contribute to similar downward trends elsewhere.
In addition, on April 26, 2023, the European Commission adopted a proposal for a new Directive and Regulation to revise the existing pharmaceutical legislation and on April 10, 2024, the Parliament adopted its related position. The proposed revisions remain to be agreed and adopted by the European Council. Moreover, on December 1, 2024, a new European Commission took office. The proposal could, therefore, still be subject to revisions. If adopted in the form proposed, the recent European Commission proposals to revise the existing EU laws governing authorization of medicinal products may result in a number of changes to the regulatory framework governing medicinal products, including a decrease in data and market exclusivity opportunities for our product candidates in the EU and make them open to generic or biosimilar competition earlier than is currently the case with a related reduction in reimbursement status.
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If we are slow or unable to adapt to changes in existing requirements or the adoption of new requirements or policies, our development plans may be impacted.
We expect that the recent reform activity, as well as other healthcare reform measures that may be adopted in the future, particularly in light of the recent U.S. Presidential and Congressional elections, may result in more rigorous coverage criteria and in additional downward pressure on the price that we receive for any approved product. Any reduction in reimbursement from Medicare or other government programs may result in a similar reduction in payments from private payors. The implementation of cost containment measures or other healthcare reforms may prevent us from being able to generate revenue, attain profitability or commercialize palazestrant, OP-3136 or any future product candidates we may develop.
Legislative and regulatory proposals have been made to expand post-approval requirements and restrict sales and promotional activities for biotechnology products. We cannot be sure whether additional legislative changes will be enacted, or whether FDA regulations, guidance or interpretations will be changed, or what the impact of such changes, if any, may be on the marketing approvals of palazestrant, OP-3136 or any future product candidates we may develop.
Our relationships with healthcare professionals, clinical investigators, CROs and third party payors in connection with our current and future business activities may be subject to federal, state and foreign healthcare fraud and abuse laws, false claims laws, transparency laws, government price reporting, and privacy and security laws (including health information privacy and security laws), which could expose us to, among other things, criminal sanctions, civil penalties, contractual damages, exclusion from governmental healthcare programs, reputational harm, administrative burdens and diminished profits and future earnings.
Healthcare providers and third-party payors play a primary role in the recommendation and prescription of our product candidates for which we obtain marketing approval. Our current and future arrangements with healthcare professionals, clinical investigators, CROs, third-party payors and customers may expose us to broadly applicable fraud and abuse and other healthcare laws and regulations that may constrain the business or financial arrangements and relationships through which we research, market, sell and distribute our product for which we obtain marketing approval. Restrictions under applicable federal and state healthcare laws and regulations include the following:
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Outside the United States, interactions between pharmaceutical companies and health care professionals are also governed by strict laws, such as national anti-bribery laws of European countries, national sunshine rules, regulations, industry self-regulation codes of conduct and physicians’ codes of professional conduct. Failure to comply with these requirements could result in reputational risk, public reprimands, administrative penalties, fines or imprisonment. For example, much like the federal Anti-Kickback Statute prohibition in the United States, the provision of benefits or advantages to physicians to induce or encourage the prescription, recommendation, endorsement, purchase, supply, order or use of medicinal products is also prohibited in EU Member States. In addition, payments made to physicians in certain EU Member States must be publicly disclosed. Moreover, in some EU Member States agreements with healthcare professionals may be the subject of prior notification and approval by the healthcare professional’s’ public employer, his or her competent professional organization and/or the national competent regulatory authorities.
Some state and foreign laws require biotechnology companies to comply with the pharmaceutical industry’s voluntary compliance guidelines and the relevant compliance guidance promulgated by the federal government and may require drug manufacturers to report information related to payments and other transfers of value to physicians and other healthcare providers or marketing expenditures. Some state and foreign laws may require biotechnology companies to report information on the pricing of certain drug products. Some state and local laws may require the registration of pharmaceutical sales representatives.
Efforts to ensure that our current and future business arrangements with third parties will comply with applicable healthcare laws and regulations will involve on-going substantial costs. It is possible that governmental authorities will conclude that our business practices may not comply with current or future statutes, regulations or case law involving applicable fraud and abuse or other healthcare laws and regulations. If our operations are found to be in violation of any of these laws or any other governmental regulations that may apply to us, we may be subject to significant penalties, including civil, criminal and administrative penalties, damages, fines, disgorgement, imprisonment, exclusion from participation in government funded healthcare programs, such as Medicare and Medicaid, or comparable foreign programs integrity oversight and reporting obligations, contractual damages, reputational harm, diminished profits and future earnings and the curtailment or restructuring of our operations. Defending against any such actions can be costly, time-consuming and may require significant financial and personnel resources. Therefore, even if we are successful in defending against any such actions that may be brought against us, our business may be impaired. Further, if any of the physicians or other healthcare providers or entities with whom we expect to do business is found to be not in compliance with applicable laws, they may be subject to criminal, civil or administrative sanctions, including exclusions from government funded healthcare programs.
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We and the third parties with whom we work are subject to stringent and evolving U.S. and foreign laws, regulations, rules, contractual obligations, policies and other obligations related to data privacy and security. Our (or third parties with whom we work) actual or perceived failure to comply with such obligations could lead to regulatory investigations or actions; litigation; fines and penalties; disruptions of our business operations; reputational harm; loss of revenue or profits; and other adverse business consequences.
In the ordinary course of business, we collect, receive, store, process, generate, use, transfer, disclose, make accessible, protect, secure, dispose of, transmit, and share (collectively, process) personal data and other sensitive information, including proprietary and confidential business data, trade secrets, intellectual property, data we collect about trial participants in connection with clinical trials and sensitive third-party data. Our data processing activities subject us to numerous data privacy and security obligations, such as various laws, regulations, guidance, industry standards, external and internal privacy and security policies, contractual requirements, and other obligations relating to data privacy and security, many of which differ from each other in significant ways and often are not preempted by HIPAA, thus complicating compliance efforts.
Outside the United States, an increasing number of laws, regulations, and industry standards govern data privacy and security. For example, the GDPR imposes strict requirements for processing personal data including, the collection and use of health data. For example, under the GDPR, companies may face temporary or definitive bans on data processing and other corrective actions; fines of up to 20 million Euros under the EU GDPR, 17.5 million British Pounds under the UK GDPR or, in each case, 4% of annual global revenue, whichever is higher; or private litigation related to processing of personal data brought by classes of data subjects or consumer protection organizations authorized at law to represent their interests.
In the ordinary course of business, we may transfer personal data from Europe and other jurisdictions to the United States or other countries. Europe and other jurisdictions have enacted laws requiring data to be localized or limiting the transfer of personal data to other countries. In particular, the EEA and the UK have significantly restricted the transfer of personal data to the United States and other countries whose privacy laws are considered ‘inadequate’. Other jurisdictions may adopt or have already adopted similarly stringent data localization and cross-border data transfer laws. Although there are currently various mechanisms that may be used to effect such cross-border transfers of personal data in compliance with the EU GDPR and UK GDPR, such as the European Commission’s ‘Standard Contractual Clauses’, the United Kingdom’s ‘International Data Transfer Agreement / Addendum’, and the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework and the UK Extension thereto (which allows for transfers for relevant U.S.-based organizations who self-certify compliance and participate in the Framework), all such mechanisms are subject to legal challenges, and there is no assurance that we can always satisfy or rely on these mechanisms to lawfully effect cross-border transfers of personal data where required. If there is no lawful manner for us to effect or be the recipient of cross-border transfers of personal data in compliance with the GDPR, and/or other applicable data privacy and security obligations, or if the requirements for a compliant transfer are too onerous, we could face significant adverse consequences, including the interruption or degradation of our operations, the need to relocate part of or all of our business or data processing activities to other jurisdictions at significant expense, increased exposure to regulatory actions, substantial fines and penalties, the inability to transfer data and work with partners, vendors and other third parties, and injunctions against our processing or transferring of personal data necessary to operate our business. Some European regulators have ordered certain companies to suspend or permanently cease certain transfers of personal data to recipients outside the EEA for allegedly violating the EU GDPR’s cross-border data transfer limitations. Additionally, companies that transfer personal data to recipients outside of the EEA and/or UK to other jurisdictions, particularly to the United States, are subject to increased scrutiny from regulators individual litigants and activist groups.
Numerous U.S. states have enacted comprehensive privacy laws that impose certain obligations on covered businesses, including providing specific disclosures in privacy notices and affording residents with certain rights concerning their personal data. As applicable, such rights may include the right to access, correct, or delete certain personal data, and to opt-out of certain data processing activities, such as targeted advertising, profiling, and automated decision-making.
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The exercise of these rights may impact our business and ability to provide our products and services. Certain states also impose stricter requirements for processing certain personal data, including sensitive information, such as conducting data privacy impact assessments. These state laws allow for statutory fines for noncompliance. For example, the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018 (CCPA) applies to personal data of consumers, business representatives, and employees who are California residents, and requires businesses to provide specific disclosures in privacy notices and honor requests of such individuals to exercise certain privacy rights. The CCPA provides for fines of up to $7,500 per intentional violation and allows private litigants affected by certain data breaches to recover significant statutory damages. The CCPA and other comprehensive U.S. state privacy laws exempt some data processed in the context of clinical trials, but these developments may further complicate compliance efforts, and increase legal risk and compliance costs for us, the third parties with whom we work.
Additionally, the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA) significantly modified the CCPA, including by expanding consumers’ rights with respect to certain sensitive personal information. The CPRA also created a new state agency that will be vested with authority to implement and enforce the CCPA and the CPRA. In addition, numerous states have passed comprehensive privacy laws that have gone or will go into effect. While some of these state laws, like the CCPA, exempt some data processed in the context of clinical trials, these laws demonstrate our vulnerability to the evolving regulatory environment related to personal information and make it difficult to predict the impact of such laws on our business or operations. Aspects of these state privacy statutes remain unclear, resulting in further legal uncertainty and potentially requiring us to modify our data practices and policies and to incur substantial additional costs and expenses in an effort to comply.
We are also bound, and may in the future become bound, by contractual obligations related to data privacy and security, and our efforts to comply with such obligations may not be successful. Moreover, we publish privacy policies and other statements, such as compliance with certain certifications or self-regulatory principles, regarding data privacy and security. If these policies or statements are found to be deficient, lacking in transparency, deceptive, unfair, or misrepresentative of our practices, we may be subject to investigation, enforcement actions by regulators or other adverse consequences.
Obligations related to data privacy and security (and consumers’ data privacy expectations) are quickly changing, becoming increasingly stringent, and creating uncertainty. Additionally, these obligations may be subject to differing applications and interpretations, which may be inconsistent or conflict among jurisdictions. Preparing for and complying with these obligations requires us to devote significant resources, which may necessitate changes to our services, information technologies, systems, and practices and to those of any third parties that process personal data on our behalf.
We may at times fail (or be perceived to have failed) in our efforts to comply with our data privacy and security obligations. Moreover, despite our efforts, our personnel or third parties on whom we rely may fail to comply with such obligations, which could negatively impact our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
Any actual or perceived failure by us or the third parties with whom we work to comply with these laws, regulations, or other obligations would lead to significant consequences, including but not limited to fines, penalties, regulatory investigations, lawsuits, significant costs for remediation, damage to our reputation, bans on processing personal data, orders to destroy or not use personal data, or other liabilities. In particular, plaintiffs have become increasingly more active in bringing privacy-related claims against companies, including class claims and mass arbitration demands. Some of these claims allow for the recovery of statutory damages on a per violation basis, and, if viable, carry the potential for monumental statutory damages, depending on the volume of data and the number of violations.
Our employees and personnel use generative artificial intelligence (AI) technologies to perform their work, and the disclosure and use of personal information in generative AI technologies is subject to various privacy laws and other privacy obligations. Governments have passed and are likely to pass additional laws regulating generative AI, such as the EU AI Act. Our use of this technology could result in additional compliance costs, regulatory investigations and actions, and consumer lawsuits.
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If we are unable to use generative AI, it could make our business less efficient and result in competitive disadvantages.
In addition to the possibility of fines, lawsuits, regulatory investigations, public censure, other claims and penalties, and significant costs for remediation and damage to our reputation, we could be materially and adversely affected if legislation or regulations are expanded to require changes in our data processing practices and policies or if governing jurisdictions interpret or implement their legislation or regulations in ways that negatively impact our business. Complying with these various laws will cause us to incur substantial costs or require us to change our business practices and compliance procedures in a manner adverse to our business.
Any inability to adequately address data privacy or security-related concerns, even if unfounded, or to comply with applicable laws, regulations, standards and other obligations relating to data privacy and security, could have a material adverse effect on our reputation, business, or financial condition, including but not limited to: interruptions or stoppages in our business operations (including, as relevant, clinical trials); inability to process personal data or to operate in certain jurisdictions; limited ability to develop or commercialize our products; expenditure of time and resources to defend any claim or inquiry; adverse publicity; or substantial changes to our business model or operations. We attempt to mitigate the associated risks but there is no assurance that privacy and security-related safeguards will protect us from all risks associated with the third-party processing, storage and transmission of such information.
Our employees, independent contractors, consultants, commercial collaborators, principal investigators, CROs, suppliers and vendors may engage in misconduct or other improper activities, including noncompliance with regulatory standards and requirements.
We are exposed to the risk that our employees, independent contractors, consultants, commercial collaborators, principal investigators, CROs, suppliers and vendors may engage in misconduct or other improper activities. Misconduct by these parties could include failures to comply with FDA or other comparable foreign regulations, provide accurate information to the FDA or other comparable regulatory authorities, comply with federal and state health care fraud and abuse laws and regulations and comparable foreign requirements, accurately report financial information or data or disclose unauthorized activities to us. In particular, sales, marketing and business arrangements in the health care industry are subject to extensive laws and regulations intended to prevent fraud, misconduct, kickbacks, self-dealing and other abusive practices. These laws and regulations may restrict or prohibit a wide range of pricing, discounting, marketing and promotion, sales commission, customer incentive programs and other business arrangements. Misconduct by these parties could also involve the improper use of information obtained in the course of clinical trials, which could result in regulatory sanctions and serious harm to our reputation. It is not always possible to identify and deter misconduct by these parties, and the precautions we take to detect and prevent this activity may not be effective in controlling unknown or unmanaged risks or losses or in protecting us from governmental investigations or other actions or lawsuits stemming from a failure to comply with these laws or regulations. If any such actions are instituted against us, and we are not successful in defending ourselves or asserting our rights, those actions could have a significant impact on our business, including the imposition of significant penalties, including civil, criminal and administrative penalties, damages, fines, disgorgement, imprisonment, exclusion from participation in government funded healthcare programs, such as Medicare and Medicaid, or comparable foreign programs, integrity oversight and reporting obligations, contractual damages, reputational harm, diminished profits and future earnings and the curtailment or restructuring of our operations.
If we fail to comply with environmental, health and safety laws and regulations, we could become subject to fines or penalties or incur costs that could significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations or prospects.
We are subject to numerous environmental, health and safety laws and regulations, including those governing laboratory procedures and the handling, use, storage, treatment and disposal of hazardous materials and wastes. Our operations involve the use of hazardous and flammable materials, including chemicals and biological materials. Our operations also produce hazardous waste products. We generally contract with third parties for the disposal of these materials and wastes. We cannot eliminate the risk of contamination or injury from these materials.
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In the event of contamination or injury resulting from our use of hazardous materials, we could be held liable for any resulting damages, and any liability could exceed our resources. We also could incur significant costs associated with civil or criminal fines and penalties.
Although we maintain workers’ compensation insurance to cover us for costs and expenses we may incur due to injuries to our employees resulting from the use of hazardous materials, this insurance may not provide adequate coverage against potential liabilities. We do not maintain insurance for environmental liability or toxic tort claims that may be asserted against us in connection with our storage or disposal of hazardous and flammable materials, including chemicals and biological materials.
In addition, we may incur substantial costs in order to comply with current or future environmental, health and safety laws and regulations. These current or future laws and regulations may impair our research, development or commercialization efforts. Failure to comply with these laws and regulations also may result in substantial fines, penalties or other sanctions.
Our research and development activities could be affected or delayed as a result of possible restrictions on animal testing.
Certain laws and regulations require us to test our product candidates on animals before initiating clinical trials involving humans. Animal testing activities have been the subject of controversy and adverse publicity. Animal rights groups and other organizations and individuals have attempted to stop animal testing activities by pressing for legislation and regulation in these areas and by disrupting these activities through protests and other means. To the extent the activities of these groups are successful, our research and development activities may be interrupted, delayed or become more expensive.
Our business activities may be subject to the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and similar anti-bribery and anti-corruption laws of other countries in which we operate, as well as U.S. and certain foreign export controls, trade sanctions, and import laws and regulations. Compliance with these legal requirements could limit our ability to compete in foreign markets and subject us to liability if we violate them.
As we expand our operations outside of the United States, we must dedicate additional resources to comply with numerous laws and regulations in each jurisdiction in which we plan to operate. Our business activities may be subject to the FCPA and similar anti-bribery or anti-corruption laws, regulations or rules of other countries in which we operate. The FCPA generally prohibits companies and their employees and third-party intermediaries from offering, promising, giving or authorizing the provision of anything of value, either directly or indirectly, to a non-U.S. government official in order to influence official action or otherwise obtain or retain business. The FCPA also requires public companies to make and keep books and records that accurately and fairly reflect the transactions of the corporation and to devise and maintain an adequate system of internal accounting controls. Our business is heavily regulated and therefore involves significant interaction with public officials, including officials of non-U.S. governments. Additionally, in many other countries, hospitals owned and operated by the government, and doctors and other hospital employees would be considered foreign officials under the FCPA. Recently the SEC and Department of Justice have increased their FCPA enforcement activities with respect to biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies. There is no certainty that all of our employees, agents or contractors, or those of our affiliates, will comply with all applicable laws and regulations, particularly given the high level of complexity of these laws. Violations of these laws and regulations could result in fines, criminal sanctions against us, our officers or our employees, disgorgement, and other sanctions and remedial measures, and prohibitions on the conduct of our business. Any such violations could include prohibitions on our ability to offer our product in one or more countries and could materially damage our reputation, our brand, our international activities, our ability to attract and retain employees and our business.
In addition, our product and activities may be subject to U.S. and foreign export controls, trade sanctions and import laws and regulations. Governmental regulation of the import or export of our product, or our failure to obtain any required import or export authorization for our product, when applicable, could harm our international sales and adversely affect our revenue. Compliance with applicable regulatory requirements regarding the export of our product may create delays in the introduction of our product in international markets or, in some cases, prevent the export of our product to some countries altogether.
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Furthermore, U.S. export control laws and economic sanctions prohibit the shipment of certain products and services to countries, governments, and persons targeted by U.S. sanctions. If we fail to comply with export and import regulations and such economic sanctions, penalties could be imposed, including fines and/or denial of certain export privileges. Moreover, any new export or import restrictions, new legislation or shifting approaches in the enforcement or scope of existing regulations, or in the countries, persons, or product targeted by such regulations, could result in decreased use of our product by, or in our decreased ability to export our product to existing or potential customers with international operations. Any decreased use of our product or limitation on our ability to export or sell access to our product would likely significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
Risks related to employee matters, managing our growth and other risks related to our business
Unfavorable U.S. and global macroeconomic and geopolitical conditions could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Our results of operations could be adversely affected by general conditions in the U.S. and global economies, the U.S. and global financial markets and adverse geopolitical and macroeconomic developments, including the economic uncertainty, market volatility, labor shortages, tariffs and trade tensions, the ongoing conflicts between Ukraine and Russia and in the Middle East, as well as any related political or economic responses and counter-responses or otherwise by various global actors, inflation rates and the responses by central banking authorities to control inflation, monetary supply shifts and related financial instability. U.S. and global market and economic conditions have been, and continue to be, disrupted and volatile due to many factors, including component shortages and related supply chain challenges, geopolitical developments, including the events noted above. General business and economic conditions that could affect our business, financial condition or results of operations include fluctuations in economic growth, debt and equity capital markets, liquidity of the global financial markets, the availability and cost of credit, investor and consumer confidence, and the strength of the economies in which we, our manufacturers and our suppliers operate.
A severe or prolonged global economic downturn could result in a variety of risks to our business. For example, inflation rates, particularly in the United States, recently increased to levels not seen in years, and increased inflation may result in increases in our operating costs (including our labor costs), reduced liquidity and limits on our ability to access credit or otherwise raise capital on acceptable terms, if at all. In addition, the U.S. Federal Reserve has raised, and may again raise, interest rates in response to concerns about inflation, which, coupled with reduced government spending and volatility in financial markets may have the effect of further increasing economic uncertainty and heightening these risks. A weak or declining economy could also strain our manufacturers and other service providers in our supply chain, possibly resulting in supply disruption. Any of the foregoing could harm our business and we cannot anticipate all of the ways in which the current economic climate and financial market conditions could adversely impact our business.
Our success is highly dependent on our ability to attract and retain highly skilled executive officers and employees.
To succeed, we must recruit, retain, manage and motivate qualified clinical, scientific, technical and management personnel, and we face significant competition for experienced personnel. We are highly dependent on the management, research and development, clinical, financial and business development expertise of our executive officers, as well as the other members of our scientific and clinical teams.
Furthermore, although we have employment offer letters with each of our executive officers, each of them may terminate their employment with us at any time. We do not maintain “key person” insurance for any of our executives or employees. If we do not succeed in attracting and retaining qualified personnel, particularly at the management level, it could adversely affect our ability to execute our business plan and harm our operating results. In particular, the loss of one or more of our executive officers could be detrimental to us if we cannot recruit suitable replacements in a timely manner. The competition for qualified personnel in the biotechnology field is intense and as a result, we may be unable to continue to attract and retain qualified personnel necessary for the future success of our business. We could in the future have difficulty attracting experienced personnel to our company and may be required to expend significant financial resources in our employee recruitment and retention efforts.
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Many of the other biotechnology companies that we compete against for qualified personnel have greater financial and other resources, different risk profiles and a longer history in the industry than we do. They also may provide more diverse opportunities and better prospects for career advancement. Some of these characteristics may be more appealing to high-quality candidates than what we have to offer. If we are unable to continue to attract and retain high-quality personnel, the rate and success at which we can discover, develop and commercialize palazestrant, OP-3136 or any other product candidate will be limited and the potential for successfully growing our business will be harmed.
If we are unable to establish sales or marketing capabilities or enter into agreements with third parties to sell or market palazestrant, OP-3136 or any product candidate we may develop in the future, we may not be able to successfully sell or market palazestrant, OP-3136 or any future product candidate we may develop that obtain regulatory approval.
We currently do not have, and have never had, a marketing or sales team. In order to commercialize any product candidates, if approved, we must build marketing, sales, distribution, managerial and other non-technical capabilities or make arrangements with third parties to perform these services for each of the territories in which we may have approval to sell or market palazestrant, OP-3136 or any future product candidate we may develop. We may not be successful in accomplishing these required tasks.
Establishing an internal sales or marketing team with technical expertise and supporting distribution capabilities to commercialize palazestrant, OP-3136 or any product candidate we may develop in the future will be expensive and time-consuming, and will require significant attention of our executive officers to manage. Any failure or delay in the development of our internal sales, marketing and distribution capabilities could adversely impact the commercialization of palazestrant, OP-3136 or any product candidate we may develop in the future that we obtain approval to market, if we do not have arrangements in place with third parties to provide such services on our behalf. Alternatively, if we choose to collaborate, either globally or on a territory-by-territory basis, with third parties that have direct sales forces and established distribution systems, either to augment our own sales force and distribution systems or in lieu of our own sales force and distribution systems, we will be required to negotiate and enter into arrangements with such third parties relating to the proposed collaboration. If we are unable to enter into such arrangements when needed, on acceptable terms, or at all, we may not be able to successfully commercialize palazestrant, OP-3136 or any product candidate we may develop in the future which may receive regulatory approval or any such commercialization may experience delays or limitations. If we are unable to successfully commercialize our approved product candidates, either on our own or through collaborations with one or more third parties, our future product revenue will suffer and we may incur significant additional losses.
We have never commercialized a product candidate before and may lack the necessary expertise, personnel and resources to successfully commercialize any products on our own or together with suitable collaborators.
We have never commercialized a product candidate, and we currently have no sales force, marketing or distribution capabilities. To achieve commercial success for a product candidate, which we may license to others, we will rely on the assistance and guidance of those collaborators. For any product candidates for which we retain commercialization rights, we will have to develop our own sales, marketing and supply organization or outsource these activities to a third party.
Factors that may affect our ability to commercialize palazestrant, OP-3136 or any future product candidate we may develop, on our own include recruiting and retaining adequate numbers of effective sales and marketing personnel, obtaining access to or our failure to educate physicians on the benefits of prescribing or ordering palazestrant, OP-3136 or any future product candidates we may develop and other unforeseen costs associated with creating an independent sales and marketing organization. Developing a sales and marketing organization will be expensive and time-consuming and could delay the launch of palazestrant, OP-3136 or any future product candidate we may develop. We may not be able to build an effective sales and marketing organization.
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If we are unable to build our own distribution and marketing capabilities or to find suitable partners for the commercialization of palazestrant, OP-3136 or any future product candidate we may develop, we may not generate revenues from such product candidate or be able to reach or sustain profitability.
In order to successfully implement our plans and strategies, we will need to grow the size of our organization, and we may experience difficulties in managing this growth.
As of January 31, 2025, we had 96 employees, all of whom were full time, consisting of clinical, research, operations, regulatory, and administrative personnel. Twenty-eight of our employees hold Ph.D. or M.D. degrees.In order to successfully implement our development and commercialization plans and strategies, we expect to need additional managerial, operational, sales, marketing, financial and other personnel. Future growth would impose significant added responsibilities on members of management, including:
In addition, we expect to be conducting multiple clinical trials of palazestrant for several different indications as well as clinical trials for OP-3136 concurrently. Given the small size of our organization, we may encounter difficulties managing multiple clinical trials at the same time, which could negatively affect our ability to manage growth of our organization, particularly as we take on additional responsibility associated with being a public company. Our future financial performance and our ability to successfully develop and, if approved, commercialize, palazestrant, OP-3136 and any other future product candidates will depend, in part, on our ability to effectively manage any future growth, and our management may also have to divert a disproportionate amount of its attention away from day-to-day activities in order to devote a substantial amount of time to managing these growth activities.
We currently rely, and for the foreseeable future will continue to rely, in substantial part on certain independent organizations, advisors and consultants to provide certain services, including key aspects of clinical development and manufacturing. We cannot assure you that the services of independent organizations, advisors and consultants will continue to be available to us on a timely basis when needed, or that we can find qualified replacements. In addition, if we are unable to effectively manage our outsourced activities or if the quality or accuracy of the services provided by third-party service providers is compromised for any reason, our clinical trials may be extended, delayed or terminated, and we may not be able to obtain marketing approval of palazestrant, OP-3136 and any other future product candidates we may develop or otherwise advance our business. We cannot assure you that we will be able to manage our existing third-party service providers or find other competent outside contractors and consultants on economically reasonable terms, or at all.
If we are not able to effectively expand our organization by hiring new employees and/or engaging additional third-party service providers, we may not be able to successfully implement the tasks necessary to further develop and commercialize palazestrant, OP-3136 and any other future product candidates we may develop and, accordingly, may not achieve our research, development and commercialization goals.
If our information technology systems or those of third parties with whom we work or our data, are or were compromised, we could experience adverse consequences resulting from such compromise, including but not limited to regulatory investigations or actions; litigation; fines and penalties; disruptions of our business operations; reputational harm; loss of revenue or profits; or other adverse consequences.
In the ordinary course of our business, we and the third parties with whom we work, collect, receive, store, process, generate, use, transfer, disclose, make accessible, protect, secure, dispose of, transmit, and share (collectively, process) proprietary, confidential, and sensitive data, including personal data (such as health-related data), intellectual property, trade secrets (collectively, sensitive information).
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Cyber-attacks, malicious internet-based activity, online and offline fraud, outages, and other similar activities threaten the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of our sensitive information and information technology systems, and those of the third parties with whom we work. Such threats are prevalent and continue to rise, are increasingly difficult to detect, and come from a variety of sources, including traditional computer “hackers,” threat actors, “hacktivists,” organized criminal threat actors, personnel (such as through theft or misuse), sophisticated nation states, and nation-state-supported actors. Some actors now engage and are expected to continue to engage in cyber-attacks, including without limitation nation-state actors for geopolitical reasons and in conjunction with military conflicts and defense activities. During times of war and other major conflicts, we, the third parties with whom we work, would be vulnerable to a heightened risk of these attacks, including retaliatory cyber-attacks, that could materially disrupt our systems and operations.
We and the third parties with whom we work are subject to a variety of evolving threats, including but not limited to social-engineering attacks (including through deep fakes, which are increasingly more difficult to identify as fake, and phishing attacks), malicious code (such as viruses and worms), malware (including as a result of advanced persistent threat intrusions), denial-of-service attacks, credential stuffing attacks, credential harvesting, intentional misconduct or unconventional error by those with authorized access, ransomware attacks, supply-chain attacks, software bugs, server malfunctions, software or hardware failures, loss of data or other information technology assets, adware, telecommunications failures, attacks enhanced or facilitated by AI, and other similar threats. In particular, severe ransomware attacks are becoming increasingly prevalent and can lead to significant interruptions in our operations, loss of sensitive data and income, reputational harm, and diversion of funds. Extortion payments may alleviate the negative impact of a ransomware attack, but we may be unwilling or unable to make such payments due to, for example, applicable laws or regulations prohibiting such payments.
We rely on third-party service providers and technologies to operate critical business systems to process sensitive information in a variety of contexts, including, without limitation, cloud-based infrastructure, data center facilities, encryption and authentication technology, employee email, content delivery to customers, and other functions. Our ability to monitor these third parties’ information security practices is limited, and these third parties may not have adequate information security measures in place. If our third-party service providers experience a security incident or other interruption, we could experience adverse consequences. While we may be entitled to damages if our third-party service providers fail to satisfy their privacy or security-related obligations to us, any award may be insufficient to cover our damages, or we may be unable to recover such award.
Any of the previously identified or similar threats could cause a security incident or other interruption that could result in unauthorized, unlawful, or accidental acquisition, modification, destruction, loss, alteration, encryption, disclosure of, unavailability of, or access to our sensitive information or our information technology systems, or those of the third parties upon whom we rely. Despite the implementation of preventative and detective security measures, our internal computer systems and those of our current and any future CROs and other contractors, consultants, collaborators and third-party service providers that process our sensitive information, there can be no assurance that these measures will be effective.
We are not able to anticipate all types of security incidents, and we cannot implement preventive measures effective against all such security incidents. A security incident or other interruption could disrupt our ability (and that of third parties upon whom we rely) to run our business. We could expend significant resources or modify our business activities (including our clinical trial activities) to try to protect against security incidents. Certain data privacy and security obligations may require us to implement and maintain specific security measures or industry-standard or reasonable security measures to protect our information technology systems and sensitive information. We have in the past and may in the future be subject to security incidents. For instance, we have had company laptops containing corporate information stolen from company offices, though none of such instances have been material or caused material harm due to encryption and device security practices.
Additionally, the loss or compromise of clinical trial data from completed or future clinical trials could result in delays or revocation of our regulatory approval efforts and significantly increase our costs to recover or reproduce the lost data. We also rely on third parties to manufacture palazestrant, and similar events relating to their computer systems could also have a material adverse effect on our business.
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We may have insufficient recourse against such third parties, and we may have to expend significant resources to mitigate the impact of such an event, to develop and implement protections to prevent future events of this nature from occurring, and to address other related concerns or issues. To the extent that any disruption or security breach were to result in a loss of, or damage to, our data, or inappropriate disclosure of confidential or proprietary information, we could be exposed to litigation and governmental investigations, the further development and commercialization of palazestrant or OP-3136 could be delayed, and we could be subject to significant fines or penalties for any noncompliance with certain state, federal and/or international privacy and security laws.
Applicable data privacy and security obligations require us to notify relevant stakeholders, including affected individuals, customers, regulators, and investors, of security incidents. Such disclosures are costly, and the disclosure or the failure to comply with such requirements could lead to adverse consequences. If we (or a third party upon whom we rely) experience a security incident or are perceived to have experienced a security incident, we may experience adverse consequences, such as government enforcement actions (for example, investigations, fines, penalties, audits, and inspections); additional reporting requirements and/or oversight; restrictions on processing sensitive information (including personal data); litigation (including class claims); indemnification obligations; negative publicity; reputational harm; monetary fund diversions; diversion of management attention; interruptions in our operations (including availability of data); financial loss; and other similar harms.
Our contracts may not contain limitations of liability, and even where they do, there can be no assurance that limitations of liability in our contracts are sufficient to protect us from liabilities, damages, or claims related to our data privacy and security obligations. Our insurance policies may not be adequate to compensate us for the potential losses arising from any such disruption, failure or security breach. In addition, such insurance may not be available to us in the future on economically reasonable terms, or at all. Further, our insurance may not cover all claims made against us and could have high deductibles in any event, and defending a suit, regardless of its merit, could be costly and divert management attention.
EU drug marketing and reimbursement regulations may materially affect our ability to market and receive coverage for our product in the EU Member States.
We intend to seek approval to market palazestrant or OP-3136 in both the United States and in selected foreign jurisdictions. If we obtain approval in one or more foreign jurisdictions for palazestrant or OP-3136, we will be subject to rules and regulations in those jurisdictions. In some foreign countries, particularly those in the European Union, the pricing of drugs is subject to governmental control and other market regulations which could put pressure on the pricing and usage of palazestrant or OP-3136. In these countries, pricing negotiations with governmental authorities can take considerable time after obtaining marketing approval of a product candidate. In addition, market acceptance and sales of palazestrant or OP-3136 will depend significantly on the availability of adequate coverage and reimbursement from third-party payors for palazestrant or OP-3136 and may be affected by existing and future healthcare reform measures.
Moreover, in most foreign countries, including a number of EU Member States, the proposed pricing for a drug must be approved before it may be lawfully marketed. The requirements governing drug pricing and reimbursement vary widely from country to country. For example, the European Union provides options for EU Member States to restrict the range of medicinal products for which their national health insurance systems provide reimbursement and to control the prices of medicinal products for human use. Reference pricing used by various EU Member States and parallel distribution, or arbitrage between low-priced and high-priced Member States, can further reduce prices. An EU Member State may approve a specific price for the medicinal product, or it may instead adopt a system of direct or indirect controls on the profitability of the company placing the medicinal product on the market. Many EU Member States also periodically review their reimbursement procedures for medicinal products, which could have an adverse impact on reimbursement status. Moreover, in order to obtain reimbursement for our products in some European countries, including some EU Member States, we may be required to compile additional data comparing the cost-effectiveness of our products to other available therapies. This Health Technology Assessment (HTA) of medicinal products is becoming an increasingly common part of the pricing and reimbursement procedures in some EU Member States, including those representing the larger markets.
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The HTA process is the procedure to assess therapeutic, economic and societal impact of a given medicinal product in the national healthcare systems of the individual country. The outcome of an HTA will often influence the pricing and reimbursement status granted to these medicinal products by the competent authorities of individual EU Member States. The extent to which pricing and reimbursement decisions are influenced by the HTA of the specific medicinal product currently varies between EU Member States.
Legislators, policymakers and healthcare insurance funds in the EU may continue to propose and implement cost-containing measures to keep healthcare costs down, particularly due to the financial strain that the COVID-19 pandemic placed on national healthcare systems of EU countries. These measures could include limitations on the prices we would be able to charge for product candidates that we may successfully develop and for which we may obtain regulatory approval or the level of reimbursement available for these products from governmental authorities or third-party payors. Further, an increasing number of EU and other foreign countries use prices for medicinal products established in other countries as reference prices to help determine the price of the product in their own territory. Consequently, a downward trend in prices of medicinal products in some countries could contribute to similar downward trends elsewhere.
Business disruptions could seriously harm our future revenue and financial condition and increase our costs and expenses.
Our operations, and those of our suppliers, CMOs, CROs and other contractors and consultants, could be subject to earthquakes, power shortages, telecommunications failures, water shortages, floods, hurricanes, typhoons, fires, extreme weather conditions, public health pandemics or epidemics, and other natural or man-made disasters or business interruptions, for which we are predominantly self- insured. The occurrence of any of these business disruptions could seriously harm our operations, increase our costs and expenses and significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
Our ability to develop palazestrant, OP-3136 or any future product candidates we may develop could be disrupted if our operations or those of our suppliers are affected by man-made or natural disasters or other business interruptions. Our corporate headquarters are located in California near major earthquake faults and fire zones. The ultimate impact on us, our significant suppliers and our general infrastructure of being located near major earthquake faults and fire zones and being consolidated in certain geographical areas is unknown, but our operations and business could suffer in the event of a major earthquake, fire or other natural disaster.
Our ability to utilize our net operating loss carryforwards and certain other tax attributes may be limited.
Our net operating loss (NOL) carryforwards could expire unused and be unavailable to offset future income tax liabilities because of their limited duration or other restrictions. Under current U.S. federal tax law, federal NOL carryforwards generated in tax years ending on or prior to December 31, 2017, are only permitted to be carried forward for 20 taxable years and federal NOL carryforwards generated in tax years ending after December 31, 2017, may be carried forward indefinitely, but the deductibility of such federal NOL carryforwards is limited to 80% of current year taxable income. It is uncertain if and to what extent various states will conform to current U.S. federal tax law. For example, California recently enacted legislation that, with certain exceptions, suspends the ability to use California net operating losses to offset California income and limits the ability to use California business tax credits to offset California taxes, for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2024, and before January 1, 2027.
In addition, under Sections 382 and 383 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, if a corporation undergoes an “ownership change” (generally defined as a cumulative change in our ownership by “5 percent shareholders” that exceeds 50 percentage points over a rolling three-year period), the corporation’s ability to use its pre-change NOL carryforwards and certain other pre-change tax attributes to offset its post-change income and taxes may be limited. Similar rules may apply under state tax laws. We may have experienced such ownership changes in the past, and we may experience ownership changes in the future as a result subsequent shifts in our stock ownership, some of which are outside our control. We have not conducted any studies to determine annual limitations, if any, that could result from such changes in the ownership.
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Our ability to utilize those NOL carryforwards could be limited by an “ownership change” as described above and consequently, we may not be able to utilize a material portion of our NOL carryforwards and certain other tax attributes, which could have a material adverse effect on our cash flows and results of operations.
A variety of risks associated with marketing palazestrant, OP-3136 or any future product candidate we may develop internationally could significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
We plan to seek regulatory approval of palazestrant, OP-3136 or any future product candidates we may develop outside of the United States and, accordingly, we expect that we will be subject to additional risks related to operating in foreign countries if we obtain the necessary approvals, including:
These and other risks associated with our international operations may significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
Risks related to our intellectual property
Our success depends on our ability to protect our intellectual property and our proprietary technologies.
Our commercial success depends in part on our ability to obtain and maintain proprietary or intellectual property protection in the United States and other countries for palazestrant, OP-3136 and any future product candidates that we may develop and technologies related to their various uses. We generally seek to protect our proprietary position by, among other things, filing patent applications in the United States and abroad related to palazestrant, OP-3136, our proprietary technologies, and their manufacture and uses that are important to our business, as well as inventions and improvements that are important to the development and implementation of our business. We also rely on trade secrets, know-how and continuing technological innovation to develop and maintain our proprietary and intellectual property position. We may also seek to protect our proprietary position by acquiring or in-licensing relevant issued patents or pending applications from third parties. If we or our potential licensors are unable to obtain or maintain patent protection with respect to palazestrant, OP-3136, proprietary technologies and their uses, our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects could be significantly harmed.
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Pending patent applications cannot be enforced against third parties practicing the technology claimed in such applications unless, and until, patents issue from such applications, and then only to the extent the issued claims cover the technology. There can be no assurance that our patent applications will result in additional patents being issued or that issued patents will afford sufficient protection against competitors with similar technology, nor can there be any assurance that the patents issued will not be infringed, designed around or invalidated by third parties.
Moreover, in the future, some of our owned patents and patent applications, or any future licensed patents or patent applications, may be co-owned with third parties. If we are unable to obtain exclusive licenses to any such co-owners’ interest in such patents or patent applications, then such co-owners may be able to license their rights to other third parties, including our competitors, and our competitors could market competing products and technology. In addition, we may need the cooperation of any such co-owners to enforce such patents against third parties, and such cooperation may not be provided to us.
Even issued patents may later be found invalid or unenforceable or may be modified or revoked in proceedings instituted by third parties before various patent offices or in courts. Thus, the degree of future protection for our proprietary rights is uncertain. Only limited protection may be available and may not adequately protect our rights or permit us to gain or keep any competitive advantage. These uncertainties and/or limitations in our ability to properly protect the intellectual property rights relating to palazestrant, OP-3136 or any future product candidates we may develop could significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
We cannot be certain that the claims in our U.S. pending patent applications, and corresponding international patent applications, will be considered patentable by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) courts in the United States or by the patent offices and courts in foreign countries, nor can we be certain that the claims in our issued patent(s) will not be found invalid or unenforceable if challenged.
The patent application process is subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, and there can be no assurance that we or any of our potential future collaborators will be successful in protecting palazestrant, OP-3136 or any future product candidates we may develop by obtaining and defending patents. These risks and uncertainties include the following:
The patent prosecution process is also expensive, time-consuming and complex, and we may not be able to file, prosecute, maintain, enforce or license all necessary or desirable patent applications at a reasonable cost or in a timely manner or in all jurisdictions where protection may be commercially advantageous.
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It is also possible that we will fail to identify patentable aspects of our research and development output before it is too late to obtain patent protection, for example, if patentable aspects are publicly disclosed, by us or a third party, such as by public use, sale or offer for sale, or publication.
In addition, although we enter into non-disclosure and confidentiality agreements with parties who have access to confidential or patentable aspects of our research and development output, such as our employees, outside scientific collaborators, CROs, third-party manufacturers, consultants, advisors and other third parties, any of these parties may breach such agreements and disclose such output before a patent application is filed, thereby jeopardizing our ability to seek patent protection. Further, although we require our employees, commercial contractors, and certain consultants and investigators to enter into invention assignment agreements that grant us ownership of any discoveries or inventions made by them while in our employ, we cannot guarantee that we have entered into such agreements with each party, we cannot provide any assurances that all such agreements have been duly executed, and any of these parties may breach such agreements and claim ownership in intellectual property that we believe is owned by us. In addition, publications of discoveries in the scientific literature often lag behind the actual discoveries, and patent applications in the United States and other jurisdictions are typically not published until 18 months after filing, or in some cases not at all. Therefore, we cannot be certain that we were the first to make the inventions claimed in our owned or any licensed patents or pending patent applications, or that we were the first to file for patent protection of such inventions.
Given the amount of time required for the development, testing and regulatory review of new product candidates, patents protecting such candidates might expire before or shortly after such candidates are commercialized. As a result, our intellectual property may not provide us with sufficient rights to exclude others from commercializing products similar or identical to ours. Should any of the above events occur, it could significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
If the scope of any patent protection we obtain is not sufficiently broad, or if we lose any of our patent protection, our ability to prevent our competitors from commercializing similar or identical product candidates would be adversely affected.
The patent positions of biopharmaceutical companies generally are highly uncertain, involve complex legal and factual questions for which important legal principles remain unsolved and have been the subject of much litigation in recent years. As a result, the issuance, scope, validity, enforceability and commercial value of our patent rights are highly uncertain. Our pending and future patent applications may not result in patents being issued which protect palazestrant or OP-3136 or which effectively prevent others from commercializing competitive technologies and product candidates.
Moreover, the coverage claimed in a patent application can be significantly reduced before a patent is issued, and its scope can be reinterpreted after issuance. Legal standards relating to valid and enforceable claim scope are unsettled in the United States and elsewhere and disputes challenging or re-defining scope are common in the biopharmaceutical industry. Even if patent applications we own or in-license currently or in the future issue as patents, they may not issue in a form that will provide us with any meaningful protection, prevent competitors or other third parties from competing with us, or otherwise provide us with any competitive advantage. Any patents that we own or in-license may be challenged or circumvented by third parties or may be narrowed or invalidated as a result of challenges by third parties. Consequently, we do not know whether palazestrant, OP-3136 or any future product candidates we may develop will be protectable or remain protected by valid and enforceable patents. Our competitors or other third parties may be able to circumvent our patents by developing similar or alternative technologies or products in a non-infringing manner which could significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
The issuance of a patent is not conclusive as to its inventorship, scope, validity or enforceability, and our patents may be challenged in the courts or patent offices in the United States and abroad.
The process by which patent applications are examined and considered for issuance as patents involves consideration by the relevant patent office of “prior art” relative to the invented technology. Different countries have different rules about what information or events can be considered “prior art,” and different requirements regarding when a patent application must be filed relative to any particular piece of potential prior art.
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Moreover, legal decisions can re-interpret or change whether particular information or events are considered to be “prior art.” Still further, in the United States, patent applicants are required to notify the USPTO of any material “prior art” of which they are aware for the patent examiner to consider in addition to independent searches that the patent examiner is required to do. Also, in the United States and certain other jurisdictions, third parties are entitled to submit prior art to patent offices for consideration during examination.
We may not be aware of certain relevant prior art, may fail to identify or timely cite certain prior art, or may not be able to convince a patent examiner that our patent(s) should issue in light of the art. Also, we cannot be certain that all relevant art will be identified during examination of a patent application so that, even if a patent issues, it may be susceptible to challenge that it is not valid over art that was not considered during its examination.
We may be subject to a third-party pre-issuance submission of prior art to the USPTO or other jurisdictions, or become involved in post-grant challenges such as opposition, derivation, revocation, reexamination, post-grant review (PGR) and inter partes review (IPR), or other similar proceedings, or in litigation, challenging our patent rights, including by challenging the validity or the claim of priority of our patents. An adverse determination in any such submission, proceeding or litigation could reduce the scope of, or invalidate or render unenforceable, our patent rights, allow third parties to commercialize palazestrant, OP-3136 or any future product candidates we may develop and compete directly with us, without payment to us. Such challenges may result in loss of patent rights, loss of exclusivity or in patent claims being narrowed, invalidated or held unenforceable, which could limit our ability to stop others from using or commercializing similar or identical technology and products, or limit the duration of the patent protection of palazestrant, OP-3136 or any future product candidates we may develop. The outcome following legal assertions of invalidity and unenforceability is unpredictable. With respect to the validity question, for example, we cannot be certain that there is no invalidating prior art, including art of which we were unaware, and art which was not raised during prosecution of any of our patent applications. If a third party were to prevail on a legal assertion of invalidity or unenforceability, we would lose at least part, and perhaps all, of the patent protection on our technology or platform, or any product candidates that we may develop. Such a loss of patent protection would significantly impact our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects. Such proceedings also may result in substantial cost and require significant time from our scientists and management, even if the eventual outcome is favorable to us. In addition, if the breadth or strength of protection provided by our patents and patent applications is threatened, regardless of the outcome, it could dissuade companies from collaborating with us to license, develop, or commercialize current or future product candidates or could embolden competitors to launch products or take other steps that could disadvantage us in the marketplace or draw us into additional expensive and time-consuming disputes. Should any of these events occur, it could significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
Intellectual property rights do not necessarily address all potential threats to our competitive advantage.
The degree of future protection afforded by our intellectual property rights is uncertain because intellectual property rights have limitations, and may not adequately protect our business or permit us to maintain our competitive advantage. For example:
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Should any of these events occur, it could significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
Our commercial success depends significantly on our ability to operate without infringing, misappropriating or otherwise violating the patents and other proprietary rights of third parties. Claims by third parties that we infringe, misappropriate or otherwise violate their proprietary rights may result in liability for damages or prevent or delay our developmental and commercialization efforts.
Our commercial success depends in part on avoiding infringement, misappropriation or other violations of the patents and proprietary rights of third parties. However, our research, development and commercialization activities may be subject to claims that we infringe, misappropriate or otherwise violate patents or other intellectual property rights owned or controlled by third parties. A finding by a court or administrative body that we infringe the claims of issued patents owned by third parties could preclude us from commercializing palazestrant or any future product candidates we may develop.
Other entities may have or obtain patents or proprietary rights that could limit our ability to make, use, sell, offer for sale or import palazestrant, OP-3136 or any future product candidates we may develop and products that may be approved in the future, or impair our competitive position. There is a substantial amount of litigation, both within and outside the United States, involving patent and other intellectual property rights in the biopharmaceutical industry, including patent infringement lawsuits, and proceedings, such as oppositions, reexaminations, IPR proceedings and PGR proceedings, before the USPTO and/or corresponding foreign patent offices. In addition, many companies in intellectual property-dependent industries, including the biopharmaceutical industry, have employed intellectual property litigation as a means to gain an advantage over their competitors. Numerous third-party U.S. and foreign issued patents and pending patent applications may exist in the fields in which we are developing palazestrant, OP-3136 or any future product candidates we may develop. There may be third-party patents or patent applications with claims to compositions, formulations, methods of manufacture or methods for treatment related to the use or manufacture of palazestrant, OP-3136 or any future product candidates we may develop. For example, we are aware of certain third-party patent applications and patents in the United States and abroad that include disclosure of chemical structures sharing certain similarities with palazestrant.
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It is possible that one or more of such third parties could pursue patent claims or assert patent claims that allegedly encompass palazestrant.
It is possible that one or more organizations will hold patent rights to which we will need a license. If those organizations refuse to grant us a license to such patent rights on reasonable terms, we may be unable to develop, manufacture, market, sell and commercialize products or services or perform research and development or other activities covered by these patents. In the event that any of these patents were to issue and be asserted against us, we believe that we would have defenses against any such assertion, including that such patents are not valid. However, if such defenses to such assertion were unsuccessful, we could be liable for damages, which could be significant and include treble damages and attorneys’ fees if we are found to willfully infringe such patents. We could also be required to obtain a license to such patents, which may not be available on commercially reasonable terms or at all. If we are unable to obtain such a license, we could be precluded from commercializing any product candidates that were ultimately held to infringe such patents.
As the biopharmaceutical industry expands and more patents are issued, the risk increases that palazestrant, OP-3136 or any future product candidates we may develop, may be subject to claims of infringement of the patent rights of third parties. Because patent applications are maintained as confidential for a certain period of time, until the relevant application is published, we may be unaware of third-party patents that may be infringed by commercialization of palazestrant, OP-3136 or any future product candidates we may develop, and we cannot be certain that we were the first to file a patent application related to a product candidate or technology. Moreover, because patent applications can take many years to issue, there may be currently-pending patent applications that may later result in issued patents that palazestrant, OP-3136 or any future product candidates we may develop may infringe. In addition, identification of third-party patent rights that may be relevant to our technology is difficult because patent searching is imperfect due to differences in terminology among patents, incomplete databases and the difficulty in assessing the meaning of patent claims. There is also no assurance that there is not prior art of which we are aware, but which we do not believe is relevant to our business, which may, nonetheless, ultimately be found to limit our ability to make, use, sell, offer for sale or import our products that may be approved in the future, or impair our competitive position. In addition, third parties may obtain patents in the future and claim that use of our technologies infringes upon these patents. Still further, we cannot rely on our experience that third parties have not so far alleged that we infringe their patent rights, as provisions of U.S. patent laws provide a safe harbor from patent infringement for therapeutic products under clinical development. If and when we submit an NDA that safe harbor will expire.
Any claims of patent infringement, misappropriation or other violations asserted by third parties would be time consuming and could:
Any patent-related legal action against us claiming damages or seeking to enjoin commercial activities relating to our products, or processes could subject us to significant liability for damages, including treble damages if we were determined to willfully infringe, and require us to obtain a license to manufacture or market palazestrant, OP-3136 or any future product candidates we may develop. Defense of these claims, regardless of their merit, would involve substantial litigation expense and would be a substantial diversion of employee resources from our business. We cannot predict whether we would prevail in any such actions or that any license required under any of these patents would be made available on commercially acceptable terms, if at all. Moreover, even if we or a future strategic partner were able to obtain a license, the rights may be nonexclusive, which could result in our competitors gaining access to the same intellectual property.
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In addition, we cannot be certain that we could redesign palazestrant, OP-3136 or any future product candidates we may develop processes to avoid infringement, if necessary.
An adverse determination in a judicial or administrative proceeding, or the failure to obtain necessary licenses, could prevent us from developing and commercializing palazestrant, OP-3136 or any future product candidates we may develop, which could significantly harm our business, financial condition and operating results. In addition, intellectual property litigation, regardless of its outcome, may cause negative publicity and could prohibit us from marketing or otherwise commercializing palazestrant, OP-3136 and future product candidates and technologies.
Parties making claims against us may be able to sustain the costs of complex patent litigation more effectively than we can. Furthermore, because of the substantial amount of discovery required in connection with intellectual property litigation or administrative proceedings, there is a risk that some of our confidential information could be compromised by disclosure. In addition, any uncertainties resulting from the initiation and continuation of any litigation could have material adverse effect on our ability to raise additional funds or otherwise significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
We may not be successful in obtaining or maintaining necessary rights from third parties for that we identify as necessary for palazestrant or OP-3136 through acquisitions and in-licenses.
Because our development programs may in the future require the use of proprietary rights held by third parties, the growth of our business may depend in part on our ability to acquire, in-license, or use these third-party proprietary rights.
While we may have issued patents that cover palazestrant or OP-3136, it is possible that third parties may have blocking patents that prevent us from marketing, manufacturing or commercializing our own patented products and practicing our own patented technology.
We may be unsuccessful in acquiring or in-licensing compositions, methods of use, processes, or other intellectual property rights from third parties that we identify as necessary for practicing inventions claimed by our patents, including the manufacture, sale and use of palazestrant, OP-3136 and any future product candidates we may develop. The licensing and acquisition of third-party intellectual property rights is a competitive area, and a number of more established companies may pursue strategies to license or acquire third-party intellectual property rights that we may consider attractive or necessary. These established companies may have a competitive advantage over us due to their size, capital resources and greater clinical development and commercialization capabilities. In addition, companies that perceive us to be a competitor may be unwilling to assign or license rights to us. We also may be unable to license or acquire third-party intellectual property rights on terms that would allow us to make an appropriate return on our investment or at all. If we are unable to successfully obtain rights to required third-party intellectual property rights or maintain the existing intellectual property rights we have, we may have to abandon development of the relevant program or product candidate, which could significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
We may be involved in lawsuits to protect or enforce our patents, which could be expensive, time consuming and unsuccessful. Further, our issued patents could be found invalid or unenforceable if challenged in court.
Competitors or other third parties may infringe, misappropriate or otherwise violate our intellectual property rights. To prevent infringement or unauthorized use, we may be required to file infringement or other intellectual property claims, which can be expensive and time-consuming. In addition, in a patent infringement proceeding, a court may decide that a patent we may in-license in the future or own is not valid, is unenforceable, and/or is not infringed, or may refuse to stop the other party from using the technology at issue on the grounds that our owned patents or future in-licensed patents do not cover the technology in question. If we or any of our potential future collaborators were to initiate legal proceedings against a third party to enforce a patent directed at palazestrant, OP-3136 or any future product candidates we may develop, the defendant could counterclaim that our patent is invalid and/or unenforceable in whole or in part.
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In patent litigation in the United States, defendant counterclaims alleging invalidity and/or unenforceability are commonplace. Grounds for a validity challenge include an alleged failure to meet any of several statutory requirements, including lack of novelty, obviousness, written description, non-enablement, or obviousness-type double patenting. Grounds for an unenforceability assertion could include an allegation that someone connected with prosecution of the patent withheld relevant information from the USPTO or made a misleading statement during prosecution.
The outcome following legal assertions of invalidity and/or unenforceability is unpredictable, and prior art could render our patent invalid. There is no assurance that all potentially relevant prior art relating to our patent and patent applications has been found. There is also no assurance that there is not prior art of which we are aware, but which we do not believe affects the validity or enforceability of a claim in our patent and patent applications, which may, nonetheless, ultimately be found to affect the validity or enforceability of a claim.
If a defendant were to prevail on a legal assertion of invalidity and/or unenforceability, we may lose at least part, and perhaps all, of the patent protection on such product candidate. In addition, if the breadth or strength of protection provided by our patents and patent applications is threatened, it could dissuade companies from collaborating with us to license, develop or commercialize current or future product candidates. Such a loss of patent protection would significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
Even if resolved in our favor, litigation or other legal proceedings relating to our intellectual property rights may cause us to incur significant expenses, and could distract our technical and management personnel from their normal responsibilities. Such litigation or proceedings could substantially increase our operating losses and reduce the resources available for development activities or any future sales, marketing or distribution activities. We may not have sufficient financial or other resources to conduct such litigation or proceedings adequately. Our competitors may be able to sustain the costs of such litigation or proceedings more effectively than we can because of their greater financial resources. Uncertainties resulting from the initiation and continuation of patent litigation or other proceedings could compromise our ability to compete in the marketplace.
Furthermore, because of the substantial amount of discovery required in connection with intellectual property litigation or other legal proceedings relating to our intellectual property rights, there is a risk that some of our confidential information could be compromised by disclosure during this type of litigation or other proceedings.
Should any of these events occur, it could significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
Intellectual property litigation may lead to unfavorable publicity that harms our reputation and causes the market price of our common shares to decline.
During the course of any intellectual property litigation, there could be public announcements of the initiation of the litigation as well as results of hearings, rulings on motions, and other interim proceedings in the litigation. If securities analysts or investors regard these announcements as negative, the perceived value of our existing products, programs or intellectual property could be diminished. Accordingly, the market price of shares of our common stock may decline. Such announcements could also harm our reputation or the market for our future products, which could significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
Derivation proceedings may be necessary to determine priority of inventions, and an unfavorable outcome may require us to cease using the related technology or to attempt to license rights from the prevailing party.
Derivation proceedings provoked by third parties or brought by us or declared by the USPTO may be necessary to determine the priority of inventions with respect to our patents or patent applications. An unfavorable outcome could require us to cease using the related technology or to attempt to license rights to it from the prevailing party.
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Our business could be harmed if the prevailing party does not offer us a license on commercially reasonable terms. Our defense of derivation proceedings may fail and, even if successful, may result in substantial costs and distract our management and other employees. In addition, the uncertainties associated with such proceedings could have a material adverse effect on our ability to raise the funds necessary to continue our clinical trials, continue our research programs, license necessary technology from third parties or enter into development or manufacturing partnerships that would help us bring palazestrant, OP-3136 or any future product candidates to market. Should any of these events occur, it could significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
Recent patent reform legislation could increase the uncertainties and costs surrounding the prosecution of our patent applications or those of our licensors and the enforcement or defense of our issued patents or those of our licensors.
On September 16, 2011, the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act (the Leahy-Smith Act) was signed into law. The Leahy-Smith Act includes a number of significant changes to U.S. patent law. These include provisions that affect the way patent applications will be prosecuted and may also affect patent litigation. In particular, under the Leahy-Smith Act, the United States transitioned in March 2013 to a “first inventor to file” system in which, assuming that other requirements of patentability are met, the first inventor to file a patent application will be entitled to the patent regardless of whether a third party was first to invent the claimed invention. A third party that files a patent application in the USPTO after March 2013 but before us could therefore be awarded a patent covering an invention of ours even if we had made the invention before it was made by such third party. This will require us to be cognizant going forward of the time from invention to filing of a patent application. Furthermore, our ability to obtain and maintain valid and enforceable patents depends on whether the differences between our technology and the prior art allow our technology to be patentable over the prior art. Since patent applications in the United States and most other countries are confidential for a period of time after filing or until issuance, we may not be certain that we or our licensors are the first to either (1) file any patent application related to palazestrant, OP-3136 or any future product candidate we may develop or (2) invent any of the inventions claimed in the patents or patent applications.
The Leahy-Smith Act also includes a number of significant changes that affect the way patent applications will be prosecuted and also may affect patent litigation. These include allowing third-party submission of prior art to the USPTO during patent prosecution and additional procedures to attack the validity of a patent by USPTO-administered post-grant proceedings, including PGR, IPR and derivation proceedings. An adverse determination in any such submission or proceeding could reduce the scope or enforceability of, or invalidate, our patent rights, which could adversely affect our competitive position.
Because of a lower evidentiary standard in USPTO proceedings compared to the evidentiary standard in U.S. federal courts necessary to invalidate a patent claim, a third party could potentially provide evidence in a USPTO proceeding sufficient for the USPTO to hold a claim invalid even though the same evidence would be insufficient to invalidate the claim if first presented in a district court action. Accordingly, a third party may attempt to use the USPTO procedures to invalidate our patent claims that would not have been invalidated if first challenged by the third party as a defendant in a district court action. Thus, the Leahy-Smith Act and its implementation could increase the uncertainties and costs surrounding the prosecution of our patent applications or those of our licensors and the enforcement or defense of our issued patents or those of our licensors, all of which could significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
Changes in U.S. patent law, or laws in other countries, could diminish the value of patents in general, thereby impairing our ability to protect palazestrant, OP-3136 or any future product candidates we may develop.
As is the case with other biopharmaceutical companies, our success is heavily dependent on intellectual property, particularly patents. Obtaining and enforcing patents in the biopharmaceutical industry involve a high degree of technological and legal complexity. Therefore, obtaining and enforcing biopharmaceutical patents is costly, time consuming and inherently uncertain. Changes in either the patent laws or in the interpretations of patent laws in the United States and other countries may diminish our ability to protect our inventions, obtain, maintain and enforce our intellectual property rights and, more generally, could affect the value of our intellectual property.
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Such changes may also increase the uncertainties and costs surrounding the prosecution of patent applications and the enforcement or defense of issued patents. We cannot predict the breadth of claims that may be allowed or enforced in our patents or in third-party patents. In addition, Congress or other foreign legislative bodies may pass patent reform legislation that is unfavorable to us.
Further, the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled on several patent cases in recent years, either narrowing the scope of patent protection available in certain circumstances or weakening the rights of patent owners in certain situations. In addition to increasing uncertainty with regard to our ability to obtain patents in the future, this combination of events has created uncertainty with respect to the value of patents, once obtained. Depending on decisions by the U.S. Congress, the U.S. federal courts, the USPTO, or similar authorities in foreign jurisdictions, the laws and regulations governing patents could change in unpredictable ways that would weaken our ability to obtain new patents or to enforce our existing patent and the patents we might obtain or license in the future. Any of the foregoing could significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations, and prospects.
We may be subject to claims challenging the inventorship or ownership of our patents and other intellectual property.
It is possible that we do not perfect ownership of all patents, patent applications or other intellectual property. This possibility includes the risk that we do not identify all inventors, or identify incorrect inventors, which may lead to claims disputing inventorship or ownership of our patents, patent applications or other intellectual property by former employees or other third parties. There is also a risk that we do not establish an unbroken chain of title from inventors to us. Errors in inventorship or ownership can sometimes also impact priority claims. If we were to lose the ability to claim priority for certain patent filings, intervening art or other events may preclude us from issuing patents.
Litigation may be necessary to defend against these and other claims challenging inventorship or ownership. If we fail in defending any such claims, in addition to paying monetary damages, we may lose valuable intellectual property rights. Such an outcome could significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects. Even if we are successful in defending against such claims, litigation could result in substantial costs and distraction to management and other employees.
Patent terms may be inadequate to protect our competitive position on palazestrant, OP-3136 or any future product candidates we may develop for an adequate amount of time.
Patents have a limited lifespan. In the United States, if all maintenance fees are timely paid, the natural expiration of a patent is generally 20 years from its earliest U.S. non-provisional filing date. Various extensions may be available, but there can be no assurance that any such extensions will be obtained, and the life of a patent, and the protection it affords, is limited. Even if patents covering palazestrant, OP-3136 or any future product candidates we may develop are obtained, once the patent life has expired, we may be open to competition from competitive products. Given the amount of time required for the development, testing and regulatory review of new product candidates, patents protecting such candidates might expire before or shortly after such candidates are commercialized. As a result, our patent portfolio may not provide us with sufficient rights to exclude others from commercializing products similar or identical to ours.
In the United States, patent term can be adjusted due to delays that occur during examination of patent applications, which may extend the term of a patent beyond 20 years. There is a risk that we may take action that detracts from any accrued patent term adjustment.
It is necessary to pay certain maintenance fees, also referred to as annuities or renewal fees in some countries, throughout the lifetime of a patent at regular intervals. Failure to pay these fees can cause a granted patent to prematurely expire, without an opportunity for revival. There is a risk that we may be unable to maintain patent protection for certain patents in all markets due to finite availability of resources.
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Any of the foregoing could significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
If we do not obtain patent term extension for palazestrant, OP-3136 or any future product candidates we may develop, our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may be significantly harmed.
Depending upon the timing, duration and specifics of FDA marketing approval of palazestrant, OP-3136 or any future product candidates we may develop, one or more of our U.S. patents or those of our licensors may be eligible for limited patent term restoration under the Drug Price Competition and Patent Term Restoration Act of 1984 (the Hatch-Waxman Amendments). The Hatch-Waxman Amendments permit a patent restoration term of up to five years as compensation for patent term lost during product development and the FDA regulatory review process. A maximum of one patent may be extended per FDA approved product as compensation for the patent term lost during the FDA regulatory review process. A patent term extension cannot extend the remaining term of a patent beyond a total of 14 years from the date of product approval and only those claims covering such approved drug product, a method for using it or a method for manufacturing it may be extended. Patent term extension may also be available in certain foreign countries upon regulatory approval of palazestrant, OP-3136 or any future product candidates we may develop. However, we may not be granted an extension because of, for example, failing to exercise due diligence during the testing phase or regulatory review process, failing to apply within applicable deadlines, failing to apply prior to expiration of relevant patents or otherwise failing to satisfy applicable requirements. Moreover, the applicable time period or the scope of patent protection afforded could be less than we request. If we are unable to obtain patent term extension or restoration or the term of any such extension is less than we request, our competitors may obtain approval of competing products following our patent expiration, and our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects could be significantly harmed. Further, if this occurs, our competitors may take advantage of our investment in development and trials by referencing our clinical and non-clinical data and launch their product earlier than might otherwise be the case.
We will not be able to protect our intellectual property rights throughout the world.
Filing, prosecuting and defending patents in all countries throughout the world would be prohibitively expensive, and our intellectual property rights in some countries outside the United States may be less extensive than those in the United States. In addition, the laws of some foreign countries do not protect intellectual property rights to the same extent as federal and state laws in the United States. Consequently, we will not be able to prevent third parties from practicing our inventions in all countries outside the United States or from selling or importing products made using our inventions in and into the United States or other jurisdictions. Competitors may use our technologies in jurisdictions where we have not obtained patent protection to develop their own products and, further, may export otherwise infringing products to territories where we have patent protection, but enforcement is not as strong as that in the United States. These infringing products may compete with palazestrant, OP-3136 or any future product candidates we may develop, without any available recourse.
The laws of some other countries do not protect intellectual property rights to the same extent as the laws of the United States. Patent protection must ultimately be sought on a country-by-country basis, which is an expensive and time-consuming process with uncertain outcomes. Accordingly, we may choose not to seek patent protection in certain countries, and we will not have the benefit of patent protection in such countries. In addition, the legal systems of some countries, particularly developing countries, do not favor the enforcement of patents and other intellectual property protection, especially those relating to biopharmaceuticals. As a result, many companies have encountered significant problems in protecting and defending intellectual property rights in foreign jurisdictions. Because the legal systems of many foreign countries do not favor the enforcement of patents and other intellectual property protection, particularly those relating to biopharmaceutical products, it could be difficult for us to stop the infringement, misappropriation or violation of our patents or our licensors’ patents or marketing of competing products in violation of our proprietary rights. Proceedings to enforce our intellectual property and other proprietary rights in foreign jurisdictions could result in substantial costs and divert our efforts and attention from other aspects of our business, could put our patents or the patents of our licensors at risk of being invalidated or interpreted narrowly, could put our patent applications or the patent applications of our licensors at risk of not issuing and could provoke third parties to assert claims against us.
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We may not prevail in any lawsuits that we initiate, and the damages or other remedies awarded, if any, may not be commercially meaningful. Accordingly, our efforts to enforce our intellectual property rights around the world may be inadequate to obtain a significant commercial advantage from the intellectual property that we develop or license.
Many countries have compulsory licensing laws under which a patent owner may be compelled to grant licenses to third parties. In addition, many countries limit the enforceability of patents against government authorities or government contractors. In these countries, the patent owner may have limited remedies, which could materially diminish the value of such patent. If we are forced to grant a license to third parties with respect to any patents relevant to our business, our competitive position may be impaired, and our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may be significantly harmed.
Obtaining and maintaining our patent protection depends on compliance with various procedural, documentary, fee payment, and other requirements imposed by regulations and governmental patent authorities, and our patent protection could be reduced or eliminated for non-compliance with these requirements.
Periodic maintenance fees, renewal fees, annuity fees and various other governmental fees on patents and/or applications will be due to the USPTO and various foreign patent offices at various points over the lifetime of our patents and/or patent applications. We have systems in place to remind us to pay these fees, and we rely on our outside patent annuity service to pay these fees when due. Additionally, the USPTO and various foreign patent offices require compliance with a number of procedural, documentary, fee payment and other similar provisions during the patent application process. We employ reputable law firms and other professionals to help us comply, and in many cases, an inadvertent lapse can be cured by payment of a late fee or by other means in accordance with rules applicable to the particular jurisdiction. However, there are situations in which noncompliance can result in abandonment or lapse of the patent or patent application, resulting in partial or complete loss of patent rights in the relevant jurisdiction. If such an event were to occur, potential competitors might be able to enter the market with similar or identical products or technology, which could significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
If our trademarks and trade names are not adequately protected, then we may not be able to build name recognition in our markets of interest and our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects could be significantly harmed.
We intend to use registered or unregistered trademarks or trade names to brand and market ourselves and our products. Our trademarks or trade names may be challenged, infringed, circumvented or declared generic or determined to be infringing on other marks. We may not be able to protect our rights to these trademarks and trade names, which we need to build name recognition among potential partners or customers in our markets of interest. At times, competitors may adopt trade names or trademarks similar to ours, thereby impeding our ability to build brand identity and possibly leading to market confusion. In addition, there could be potential trade name or trademark infringement claims brought by owners of other registered trademarks or trademarks that incorporate variations of our registered or unregistered trademarks or trade names. Over the long term, if we are unable to establish name recognition based on our trademarks and trade names, then we may not be able to compete effectively, and our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may be significantly harmed. Our efforts to enforce or protect our proprietary rights related to trademarks, trade secrets, domain names, copyrights or other intellectual property may be ineffective and could result in substantial costs and diversion of resources and could significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
If we are unable to protect the confidentiality of our trade secrets, our business, financial condition, results of operations, prospects and competitive position would be significantly harmed.
In addition, we rely on the protection of our trade secrets, including unpatented know-how, technology and other proprietary information to maintain our competitive position.
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Although we have taken steps to protect our trade secrets and unpatented know-how, including entering into confidentiality agreements with third parties, and confidential information and inventions agreements with employees, consultants and advisors, we cannot guarantee that we have entered into such agreements with each party that may have or have had access to our trade secrets or proprietary technology or processes. Further, we cannot provide any assurances that all such agreements have been duly executed, and any of these parties may breach the agreements and disclose our proprietary information, including our trade secrets, or claim ownership in intellectual property that we believe is owned by us. Monitoring unauthorized uses and disclosures of our intellectual property is difficult, and we do not know whether the steps we have taken to protect our intellectual property will be effective. In addition, we may not be able to obtain adequate remedies for such breaches. Enforcing a claim that a party illegally disclosed or misappropriated a trade secret is difficult, expensive and time-consuming, and the outcome is unpredictable. In addition, some courts inside and outside the United States are less willing or unwilling to protect trade secrets.
Moreover, if any of our trade secrets were to be lawfully obtained or independently developed by a competitor or other third party, we would have no right to prevent them from using that technology or information to compete with us. If any of these events occurs or if we otherwise lose protection for our trade secrets, the value of this information may be greatly reduced, and our competitive position would be harmed. If we do not apply for patent protection prior to such publication or if we cannot otherwise maintain the confidentiality of our proprietary technology and other confidential information, then our ability to obtain patent protection or to protect our trade secret information may be jeopardized. Any of the foregoing could significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
We may be subject to claims that we or our employees have wrongfully used or disclosed alleged confidential information or trade secrets.
We have entered into and may enter in the future into non-disclosure and confidentiality agreements to protect the proprietary positions of third parties, such as outside scientific collaborators, CROs, third-party manufacturers, consultants, advisors, potential partners, lessees of shared multi-company property and other third parties. Many of our employees and consultants were previously employed at, or may have previously provided or may be currently providing consulting services to, other biopharmaceutical companies, including our competitors or potential competitors. Although we try to ensure that our employees, consultants, and advisors do not use the proprietary information or know-how of others in their work for us, we may become subject to litigation where a third party asserts that we or our employees or consultants inadvertently or otherwise breached the agreements and used or disclosed trade secrets or other information proprietary to the third parties. Defense of such matters, regardless of their merit, could involve substantial litigation expense and be a substantial diversion of employee resources from our business. We cannot predict whether we would prevail in any such actions. Moreover, intellectual property litigation, regardless of its outcome, may cause negative publicity and could prohibit us from marketing or otherwise commercializing palazestrant, OP-3136 or any future product candidates or technologies we may develop. Failure to defend against any such claim could subject us to significant liability for monetary damages or prevent or delay our developmental and commercialization efforts, and cause us to lose valuable intellectual property rights or personnel, which could significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects. Even if we are successful in defending against these claims, litigation could result in substantial costs and be a distraction to our management team and other employees.
Parties making claims against us may be able to sustain the costs of complex intellectual property litigation more effectively than we can. Furthermore, because of the substantial amount of discovery required in connection with intellectual property litigation, there is a risk that some of our confidential information could be compromised by disclosure. In addition, any uncertainties resulting from the initiation and continuation of any litigation could have a material adverse effect on our ability to raise additional funds or otherwise significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
Our rights to develop and commercialize our technology and product candidates may be subject, in part, to the terms and conditions of licenses granted to us by others.
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We may enter into license agreements in the future with others to advance our research or allow commercialization of palazestrant, OP-3136 or any future product candidates we may develop. These and other licenses may not provide exclusive rights to use such intellectual property and technology in all relevant fields of use and in all territories in which we may wish to develop or commercialize our technology and products in the future. As a result, we may not be able to prevent competitors from developing and commercializing competitive products in territories included in our licenses.
If we fail to comply with our obligations under any such license agreements, including obligations to make various milestone payments and royalty payments and other obligations, the licensor may have the right to terminate the license. If these agreements are terminated, we could lose intellectual property rights that are important to our business, be liable for any damages to such licensors or be prevented from developing and commercializing our product candidates, and competitors could have the freedom to seek regulatory approval of, and to market, products identical to ours. Termination of these agreements or reduction or elimination of our rights under these agreements may also result in our being required to negotiate new or reinstated agreements with less favorable terms, cause us to lose our rights under these agreements, including our rights to important intellectual property or technology, or impede, delay or prohibit the further development or commercialization of one or more product candidates that rely on such agreements. It is possible that we may be unable to obtain any additional licenses at a reasonable cost or on reasonable terms, if at all. In that event, we may be required to expend significant time and resources to redesign our product candidates or the methods for manufacturing them or to develop or license replacement technology, all of which may not be feasible on a technical or commercial basis.
In addition, subject to the terms of any such license agreements, we may not have the right to control the preparation, filing, prosecution, maintenance, enforcement and defense of patents and patent applications covering the technology that we license from third parties. In such an event, we cannot be certain that these patents and patent applications will be prepared, filed, prosecuted, maintained, enforced and defended in a manner consistent with the best interests of our business, including the payment of all applicable fees for patents covering our product candidates. If our licensors fail to prosecute, maintain, enforce and defend such patents, or lose rights to those patents or patent applications, the rights we have licensed may be reduced or eliminated, and our right to develop and commercialize any of our products that are subject of such licensed rights could be adversely affected. Further, we may not be able to prevent competitors from making, using and selling competing products. In addition, even where we have the right to control the prosecution of patents and patent applications we have licensed to and from third parties, we may still be adversely affected or prejudiced by the actions or inactions of our licensees, our licensors and their counsel that took place prior to the date upon which we assumed control over patent prosecution.
Our licensors may have relied on third party consultants or collaborators or on funds from third parties such that our licensors are not the sole and exclusive owners of the patents we in-licensed. If other third parties have ownership rights to our in-licensed patents, they may be able to license such patents to our competitors, and our competitors could market competing products and technology. This could have a material adverse effect on our competitive position, business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
We may need to obtain additional licenses from existing licensors and others to advance our research or allow commercialization of product candidates we develop. It is possible that we may be unable to obtain additional licenses at a reasonable cost or on reasonable terms, if at all. Even if we are able to obtain a license, it may be non-exclusive, thereby giving our competitors access to the same technologies licensed to us. In that event, we may be required to expend significant time and resources to redesign our technology, product candidates, or the methods for manufacturing them or to develop or license replacement technology, all of which may not be feasible on a technical or commercial basis. If we are unable to do so, we may be unable to develop or commercialize the affected product candidates, which could significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects significantly. We cannot provide any assurances that third party patents do not exist which might be enforced against our current technology, manufacturing methods, product candidates, or future methods or products resulting in either an injunction prohibiting our manufacture or future sales, or, with respect to our future sales, an obligation on our part to pay royalties and/or other forms of compensation to third parties, which could be significant.
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Should any of these events occur, it could significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
If we fail to comply with our obligations in the agreements under which we license intellectual property rights from third parties or otherwise experience disruptions to our business relationships with our licensors, we could lose license rights that are important to our business.
Disputes may arise between us and our past, current or future licensors regarding intellectual property subject to a license agreement, including:
In addition, the agreements under which we license intellectual property or technology from third parties are complex, and certain provisions in such agreements may be susceptible to multiple interpretations. The resolution of any contract interpretation disagreement that may arise could narrow what we believe to be the scope of our rights to the relevant intellectual property or technology, or increase what we believe to be our financial or other obligations under the relevant agreement, either of which could significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects. Moreover, if disputes over intellectual property that we have licensed prevent or impair our ability to maintain our current licensing arrangements on commercially acceptable terms, we may be unable to successfully develop and commercialize the affected product candidates, which could significantly harm our business, financial condition and prospects.
In spite of our best efforts, our licensors might conclude that we have materially breached our license agreements and might therefore terminate the license agreements, thereby removing our ability to develop and commercialize products and technology covered by these license agreements. If these in-licenses are terminated, or if the underlying patents fail to provide the intended exclusivity, competitors would have the freedom to seek regulatory approval of, and to market, products identical to ours. This could significantly harm our competitive position, business, financial condition and prospects.
Intellectual property discovered through government funded programs may be subject to federal regulations such as “march-in” rights, certain reporting requirements and a preference for U.S.-based companies. Compliance with such regulations may limit our exclusive rights and limit our ability to contract with non-U.S. manufacturers.
We may develop, acquire, or license intellectual property rights that have been generated through the use of U.S. government funding or grants. Pursuant to the Bayh-Dole Act of 1980, the U.S. government has certain rights in inventions developed with government funding. These U.S. government rights include a non-exclusive, non- transferable, irrevocable worldwide license to use inventions for any governmental purpose. In addition, the U.S. government has the right, under certain limited circumstances, to require us to grant exclusive, partially exclusive, or non-exclusive licenses to any of these inventions to a third party if it determines that: (1) adequate steps have not been taken to commercialize the invention; (2) government action is necessary to meet public health or safety needs; or (3) government action is necessary to meet requirements for public use under federal regulations (also referred to as “march-in rights”). If the U.S. government exercised its march-in rights in our future intellectual property rights that are generated through the use of U.S.
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government funding or grants, we could be forced to license or sublicense intellectual property developed by us or that we license on terms unfavorable to us, and there can be no assurance that we would receive compensation from the U.S. government for the exercise of such rights. The U.S. government also has the right to take title to these inventions if the grant recipient fails to disclose the invention to the government or fails to file an application to register the intellectual property within specified time limits. Intellectual property generated under a government funded program is also subject to certain reporting requirements, compliance with which may require us to expend substantial resources. In addition, the U.S. government requires that any products embodying any of these inventions or produced through the use of any of these inventions be manufactured substantially in the United States. This preference for U.S. industry may be waived by the federal agency that provided the funding if the owner or assignee of the intellectual property can show that reasonable but unsuccessful efforts have been made to grant licenses on similar terms to potential licensees that would be likely to manufacture substantially in the United States or that under the circumstances domestic manufacture is not commercially feasible. This preference for U.S. industry may limit our ability to contract with non-U.S. product manufacturers for products covered by such intellectual property. Any exercise by the government of any of the foregoing rights could harm our competitive position, business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
Risks related to our dependence on third parties
We rely, and expect to continue to rely, on third parties, including independent clinical investigators and CROs, to conduct certain aspects of our non-clinical studies and clinical trials. If these third parties do not successfully carry out their contractual duties, comply with applicable regulatory requirements or meet expected deadlines, we may not be able to obtain regulatory approval for or commercialize palazestrant, OP-3136 or future product candidates we may develop and our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects could be significantly harmed.
We have relied upon and plan to continue to rely upon third parties, including independent clinical investigators and third-party CROs, to conduct certain aspects of our non-clinical studies and clinical trials and to monitor and manage data for our ongoing non-clinical and clinical programs. We rely on these parties for execution of our non-clinical studies and clinical trials, and control only certain aspects of their activities. Nevertheless, we are responsible for ensuring that each of our studies and trials is conducted in accordance with the applicable protocol, legal, regulatory and scientific standards, and our reliance on these third parties does not relieve us of our regulatory responsibilities. We and our third-party contractors and CROs are required to comply with GCP requirements, which are regulations and guidelines enforced by the FDA and comparable foreign regulatory authorities for palazestrant or OP-3136 in clinical development. Regulatory authorities enforce these GCPs through periodic inspections of trial sponsors, principal investigators and trial sites. If we or any of these third parties or our CROs fail to comply with applicable GCPs, the clinical data generated in our clinical trials may be deemed unreliable and the FDA or comparable foreign regulatory authorities may require us to perform additional clinical trials before approving our marketing applications. We cannot assure you that upon inspection by a given regulatory authority, such regulatory authority will determine that any of our clinical trials comply with GCP regulations. In addition, our clinical trials must be conducted with product produced under cGMP regulations. Our failure to comply with these regulations may require us to repeat clinical trials, which would delay the regulatory approval process. Moreover, our business may be adversely affected if any of these third parties violates federal, state or foreign fraud and abuse or false claims laws and regulations or healthcare privacy and security laws.
Further, these investigators and CROs are not our employees and we will not be able to control, other than by contract, the amount of resources, including time, which they devote to palazestrant and clinical trials. These third parties may also have relationships with other commercial entities, including our competitors, for whom they may also be conducting clinical trials or other product development activities, which could affect their performance on our behalf. If independent investigators or CROs fail to devote sufficient resources to the development of palazestrant or OP-3136, or if CROs do not successfully carry out their contractual duties or obligations or meet expected deadlines, if they need to be replaced or if the quality or accuracy of the clinical data they obtain is compromised due to the failure to adhere to our clinical protocols, regulatory requirements or for other reasons, our clinical trials may be extended, delayed or terminated and we may not be able to obtain regulatory approval for or successfully commercialize palazestrant or OP-3136.
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As a result, our results of operations and the commercial prospects for palazestrant or OP-3136 would be harmed, our costs could increase and our ability to generate revenues could be delayed or precluded entirely, and our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects could be significantly harmed.
Our CROs have the right to terminate their agreements with us in the event of an uncured material breach. In addition, some of our CROs have an ability to terminate their respective agreements with us if it can be reasonably demonstrated that the safety of the subjects participating in our clinical trials warrants such termination, if we make a general assignment for the benefit of our creditors or if we are liquidated.
If any of our relationships with these third-party CROs terminate, we may not be able to enter into arrangements with alternative CROs or do so on commercially reasonable terms. Switching or adding additional CROs involves additional cost and requires management time and focus. In addition, there is a natural transition period when a new CRO commences work. As a result, delays occur, which can materially impact our ability to meet our desired clinical development timelines. Additionally, CROs may lack the capacity to absorb higher workloads or take on additional capacity to support our needs. There can be no assurance that we will not encounter challenges or delays with CROs in the future or that these delays or challenges will not significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
We contract with third parties for the manufacture of palazestrant for non-clinical studies and our ongoing clinical trials, and expect to continue to do so for additional clinical trials and ultimately for commercialization. This reliance on third parties increases the risk that we will not have sufficient quantities of palazestrant or other drugs necessary for the development or commercialization of palazestrant or such quantities at an acceptable cost, which could delay, prevent or impair our development or commercialization efforts.
We do not currently have the infrastructure or internal capability to manufacture supplies of palazestrant for use in development and commercialization. We rely, and expect to continue to rely, on third-party manufacturers for the production of palazestrant for non-clinical studies and clinical trials under the guidance of members of our organization. We do not have long-term supply agreements for palazestrant. Furthermore, the raw materials for palazestrant are sourced, in some cases, from a single-source supplier. If we were to experience an unexpected loss of supply of palazestrant for any reason, whether as a result of manufacturing, supply or storage issues or otherwise, we could experience delays, disruptions, suspensions or terminations of, or be required to restart or repeat, any pending or ongoing clinical trials.
We expect to continue to rely on third-party manufacturers for the commercial supply of palazestrant, if we obtain marketing approval. We may be unable to maintain or establish required agreements with third-party manufacturers or to do so on acceptable terms. Even if we are able to establish agreements with third-party manufacturers, reliance on third-party manufacturers entails additional risks, including:
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We have limited control over all aspects of the manufacturing process of, and are dependent on, our contract manufacturing partners for compliance with cGMP regulations for manufacturing both active drug substances and finished drug products. Third-party manufacturers may not be able to comply with cGMP regulations or similar regulatory requirements outside of the United States. If our contract manufacturers cannot successfully manufacture material that conforms to our specifications and the strict regulatory requirements of the FDA, EU or other foreign regulatory requirements, they will not be able to secure and/or maintain marketing approval for their manufacturing facilities. In addition, we have limited control over the ability of our contract manufacturers to maintain adequate quality control, quality assurance and qualified personnel. If the FDA, competent authorities of EU Member States or a comparable foreign regulatory authority does not approve these facilities for the manufacture of palazestrant, or if it withdraws any such approval in the future, we may need to find alternative manufacturing facilities, which would significantly impact our ability to develop, obtain marketing approval for or market palazestrant, if approved. We, or our contract manufacturers, any future collaborators and their contract manufacturers could be subject to periodic unannounced inspections by the FDA, competent authorities of EU Member States, or other comparable foreign regulatory authorities, to monitor and ensure compliance with cGMP. Despite our efforts to audit and verify regulatory compliance, one or more of our third-party manufacturing vendors may be found on regulatory inspection by the FDA, competent authorities of EU Member States or other comparable foreign regulatory authorities to be noncompliant with cGMP regulations. Our failure, or the failure of our third-party manufacturers, to comply with applicable regulations could result in sanctions being imposed on us, including shutdown of the third-party vendor or invalidation of drug product lots or processes, fines, injunctions, civil penalties, delays, suspension, variation or withdrawal of approvals, license revocation, seizures or recalls of product candidates or drugs, operating restrictions and criminal prosecutions, any of which could significantly and adversely affect supplies of palazestrant or other drugs necessary for the development or commercialization of palazestrant and significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
Furthermore, if the third-party providers of therapies or therapies in development used in combination with palazestrant are unable to produce sufficient quantities for clinical trials or for commercialization of palazestrant, or if the cost of combination therapies are prohibitive, our development and commercialization efforts would be impaired, which would significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects. For example, for our Phase 1b/2 clinical study of palazestrant in combination with KISQALI® (ribociclib) or PIQRAY® (alpelisib), or the Novartis Study Drugs, in patients with metastatic ER+ breast cancer, we entered into an Amended and Restated Clinical Collaboration and Supply Agreement with Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Inc. (Novartis), as amended by Amendment No. 1 to Amended and Restated Clinical Collaboration and Supply Agreement between us and Novartis, and Amendment No. 2 to Amended and Restated Clinical Collaboration and Supply Agreement between us and Novartis (as amended, the Novartis Agreement). Under the terms of the Novartis Agreement, Novartis is providing KISQALI® (ribociclib) and PIQRAY® (alpelisib) for the clinical trial. If Novartis is unable to timely manufacture or provide KISQALI® (ribociclib) or PIQRAY® (alpelisib), or if the Novartis Agreement terminates and we are unable to obtain KISQALI® (ribociclib) or PIQRAY® (alpelisib) on the current terms, our Phase 1b/2 clinical study may be delayed and the cost to us to conduct this trial may significantly increase, which would significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects. In addition, for our Phase 3 clinical trial of palazestrant in combination with ribociclib in ER+/HER2- frontline advanced or metastatic breast cancer, we entered into a Clinical Trial Collaboration and Supply Agreement with Novartis. Under the terms of the Novartis Pharma Agreement, Novartis will manufacture and supply ribociclib. If Novartis is unable to timely manufacture or supply ribociclib, or if the Novartis Pharma Agreement terminates and we are unable to obtain ribociclib on the current terms, our Phase 3 clinical study may be delayed and the cost to us to conduct this trial may significantly increase. Either of these outcomes would significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects. For a description of the Novartis Agreement and the Novartis Pharma Agreement, see the sections titled “Business—Clinical Collaboration and Supply Agreement with Novartis” and “Business—Clinical Trial Collaboration and Supply Agreement with Novartis” respectively.
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Our current and anticipated future dependence upon others for the manufacture of palazestrant or other drugs necessary for the development or commercialization of palazestrant may adversely affect our future profit margins and our ability to commercialize any product candidates that receive marketing approval on a timely and competitive basis.
The manufacture of drugs is complex, and our third-party manufacturers may encounter difficulties in production. If any of our third-party manufacturers encounter such difficulties, our ability to provide adequate supply of palazestrant for clinical trials or our product for patients, if approved, could be delayed or prevented.
Manufacturing drugs, especially in large quantities, is complex and may require the use of innovative technologies. Each lot of an approved drug product must undergo thorough testing for identity, strength, quality, purity and potency. Manufacturing drugs requires facilities specifically designed for and validated for this purpose, and sophisticated quality assurance and quality control procedures are necessary. Slight deviations anywhere in the manufacturing process, including filling, labeling, packaging, storage and shipping and quality control and testing, may result in lot failures, product recalls or spoilage. When changes are made to the manufacturing process, we may be required to provide non-clinical and clinical data showing the comparable identity, strength, quality, purity or potency of the products before and after such changes. If microbial, viral or other contaminations are discovered at the facilities of our manufacturer, such facilities may need to be closed for an extended period of time to investigate and remedy the contamination, which could delay clinical trials and significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects. The use of biologically derived ingredients can also lead to allegations of harm, including infections or allergic reactions, or closure of product facilities due to possible contamination. If our manufacturers are unable to produce sufficient quantities for clinical trials or for commercialization as a result of these challenges, or otherwise, our development and commercialization efforts would be impaired, which would significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
We have engaged in and may in the future engage in additional acquisitions, strategic partnerships or in-licensing opportunities, that may increase our capital requirements, dilute our stockholders, cause us to incur debt or assume contingent liabilities, and subject us to other risks.
We have engaged in the past and may in the future engage in or evaluate various acquisition opportunities, strategic partnerships and in-licensing opportunities, including licensing or acquiring complementary products, intellectual property rights, technologies or businesses. Any potential acquisition or strategic partnership may entail numerous risks, including:
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In addition, if we undertake acquisitions or pursue partnerships or in-licensing opportunities in the future, we may issue dilutive securities, assume or incur debt obligations, incur large one-time expenses and acquire intangible assets that could result in significant future amortization expense. Moreover, we may devote substantial resources and fail to realize the anticipated benefits of such efforts, or we may incorrectly judge the value of an acquired or in-licensed product candidate, technology or other asset. Any such failure to realize the anticipated benefits of any or all of our acquisitions, strategic partnerships or in-licensing opportunities in the time frame expected, or at all, could result in additional costs or loss of revenue. Furthermore, we may not be able to locate suitable acquisition opportunities, and this inability could impair our ability to grow or obtain access to technology or products that may be important to the development of our business.
We have entered into collaborations with third parties for the development and commercialization of palazestrant. If those collaborations are not successful, we may not be able to capitalize on the market potential of palazestrant.
We have third-party collaborators for the development and commercialization of palazestrant. Our likely collaborators for any future collaboration arrangements include large and mid-size pharmaceutical companies, regional and national pharmaceutical companies and biotechnology companies.
We have, and will likely continue to have, limited control over the amount and timing of resources that our collaborators dedicate to the development or commercialization of palazestrant. Our ability to generate revenues from these arrangements will depend on our collaborators’ abilities and efforts to successfully perform the functions assigned to them in these arrangements. Collaborations involving palazestrant could pose numerous risks to us, including the following:
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If we decide to establish collaborations in the future but are not able to establish those collaborations on commercially reasonable terms, we may have to alter our development and commercialization plans.
Our drug development programs and the potential commercialization of palazestrant, OP-3136 or any future product candidates we may develop will require substantial additional cash to fund expenses. We may continue to seek to selectively form collaborations to expand our capabilities, potentially accelerate research and development activities and provide for commercialization activities by third parties. Any of these relationships may require us to incur non-recurring and other charges, increase our near and long-term expenditures, issue securities that dilute our existing stockholders, or disrupt our management and business.
If we seek collaborations in the future, we will face significant competition in seeking appropriate collaborators and the negotiation process is time-consuming and complex. Whether we reach a definitive agreement for a collaboration will depend, among other things, upon our assessment of the collaborator’s resources and expertise, the terms and conditions of the proposed collaboration and the proposed collaborator’s evaluation of a number of factors. Those factors may include the design or results of clinical trials, the likelihood of approval by the FDA, European Commission or comparable foreign regulatory authorities, the potential market for the subject product candidate, the costs and complexities of manufacturing and delivering such product candidate to patients, the potential of competing drugs, the existence of uncertainty with respect to our ownership of intellectual property and industry and market conditions generally. The potential collaborator may also consider alternative product candidates or technologies for similar indications that may be available to collaborate on and whether such collaboration could be more attractive than the one with us for palazestrant, OP-3136 or any future product candidates we may develop. Further, we may not be successful in our efforts to establish a collaboration or other alternative arrangements for future product candidates because they may be deemed to be at too early of a stage of development for collaborative effort and third parties may not view them as having the requisite potential to demonstrate safety and efficacy.
In addition, there have been a significant number of recent business combinations among large pharmaceutical companies that have resulted in a reduced number of potential future collaborators. Even if we are successful in entering into a collaboration, the terms and conditions of that collaboration may restrict us from entering into future agreements on certain terms with potential collaborators.
If and when we seek to enter into additional collaborations, we may not be able to negotiate collaborations on a timely basis, on acceptable terms, or at all. If we are unable to do so, we may have to curtail the development of a product candidate, reduce or delay its development program or one or more of our other development programs, delay its potential commercialization or reduce the scope of any sales or marketing activities, or increase our expenditures and undertake development or commercialization activities at our own expense. If we elect to increase our expenditures to fund development or commercialization activities on our own, we may need to obtain additional capital, which may not be available to us on acceptable terms or at all. If we do not have sufficient funds, we may not be able to further develop palazestrant, OP-3136 or any future product candidates we may develop or bring them to market and generate product revenue.
Risks related to ownership of our common stock
An active trading market for our common stock may not be sustained.
Our common stock is currently listed on The Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol “OLMA.” However, we cannot assure you that an active trading market for our common stock will be sustained. Accordingly, we cannot assure you of the liquidity of any trading market, your ability to sell your shares of our common stock when desired, or the prices that you may obtain for your shares.
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Further, an inactive market may also impair our ability to raise capital by selling our common stock and may impair our ability to enter into strategic partnerships or acquire businesses, products, or technologies using our common stock as consideration.
The price of our stock has been and may continue to be volatile, and you could lose all or part of your investment.
The trading price of our common stock has been and may continue to be highly volatile and subject to wide fluctuations in response to various factors, some of which we cannot control. For example, the closing price of our common stock from January 1, 2023 to December 31, 2024 has ranged from a low of $2.55 to a high of $17.14. The stock market in general, and pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies in particular, have experienced extreme price and volume fluctuations that have often been unrelated or disproportionate to the operating performance of these companies.
Broad market and industry factors may negatively affect the market price of our common stock, regardless of our actual operating performance. In addition to the factors discussed in this “Risk Factors” section and elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, these factors include:
In addition, the trading prices for common stock of other biopharmaceutical companies have been highly volatile as a result of factors unrelated to the specific company or its technology.
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The realization of any of the above risks or any of a broad range of other risks, including those described in this “Risk Factors” section, could have a dramatic and adverse impact on the market price of our common stock.
Our quarterly operating results may fluctuate significantly or may fall below the expectations of investors or securities analysts, each of which may cause our stock price to fluctuate or decline.
We expect our operating results to be subject to quarterly fluctuations. Our net loss and other operating results will be affected by numerous factors, including:
If our quarterly operating results fall below the expectations of investors or securities analysts, the price of our common stock could decline substantially. Furthermore, any quarterly fluctuations in our operating results may, in turn, cause the price of our stock to fluctuate substantially. We believe that quarterly comparisons of our financial results are not necessarily meaningful and should not be relied upon as an indication of our future performance.
Our principal stockholders and management own a significant percentage of our stock and will be able to exert significant control over matters subject to stockholder approval.
Our executive officers, directors, significant stockholders and their respective affiliates beneficially own a significant percentage of our common stock. Therefore, these stockholders are able to significantly influence us through this ownership position. These stockholders may be able to determine all matters requiring stockholder approval. For example, these stockholders may be able to control elections of directors, amendments of our organizational documents or approval of any merger, sale of assets or other major corporate transaction. This may prevent or discourage unsolicited acquisition proposals or offers for our common stock that you may feel are in your best interest as one of our stockholders. The interests of this group of stockholders may not always coincide with your interests or the interests of other stockholders and they may act in a manner that advances their best interests and not necessarily those of other stockholders, including seeking a premium value for their common stock, and might affect the prevailing market price for our common stock.
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Sales of a substantial number of shares of our common stock in the public market could cause our stock price to fall.
Our common stock price could decline as a result of sales of a large number of shares of common stock or the perception that these sales could occur. These sales, or the possibility that these sales may occur, might also make it more difficult for us to sell equity securities in the future at a time and price that we deem appropriate.
As of January 31, 2025, we had 68,333,065 shares of common stock and pre-funded warrants to purchase up to 17,094,163 shares of common stock outstanding. Shares issued upon the exercise of any such warrants as well as stock options outstanding under our equity incentive plans or pursuant to future awards granted under those plans will become available for sale in the public market to the extent permitted by the provisions of applicable vesting schedules, and Rules 144 and 701 under the Securities Act.
We were obligated to file registration statements with the Securities and Exchange Commission to register all of the shares, including shares issuable upon the exercise of pre-funded warrants, issued in each of our private placement transactions for public resale, and are required to maintain effectiveness of both registration statements until the earliest of (i) the second anniversary of the effective date of such registration statement, (ii) such time as all of the shares issued in such private placement have been sold pursuant to such registration statement, or (iii) such time as the shares issued in such private placement become eligible for resale by non-affiliates without any volume limitations or other restrictions pursuant to Rule 144(b)(1)(i) under the Securities Act or any other rule of similar effect. In January 2025, we filed a universal shelf registration statement pursuant to which we may offer and sell shares from time to time, including pursuant to our at-the-marketing offering program currently in place. We also register the offer and sale of all shares of common stock that we may issue under our equity compensation plans. Once we register the offer and sale of shares for the holders of registration rights and shares that may be issued under our equity incentive plans, these shares will be able to be sold in the public market upon issuance, subject to applicable securities laws.
In addition, in the future, we may issue additional shares of common stock, or other equity or debt securities convertible into common stock, in connection with a financing, acquisition, employee arrangement or otherwise. Any such issuance could result in substantial dilution to our existing stockholders and could cause the price of our common stock to decline.
Raising additional capital may cause dilution to our existing stockholders, restrict our operations or require us to relinquish rights to palazestrant, OP-3136 or future product candidates we may develop on unfavorable terms to us.
We have in the past, and may again in the future seek additional capital through a variety of means, including through public or private equity offerings, debt financings or other sources, including up-front payments and milestone payments from strategic collaborations. For example, in September 2023, we completed a private placement of 13,211,381 shares of our common stock to selected institutional and accredited investors pursuant to a securities purchase agreement (the 2023 Private Placement), and in December 2024, we completed a private placement of 19,928,875 shares of our common stock and pre-funded warrants to purchase up to 7,604,163 shares of our common stock to selected institutional and accredited investors pursuant to a securities purchase and exchange agreement (the 2024 Private Placement). In addition, in January 2025, we entered into a Sales Agreement (the 2025 Sales Agreement), with TD Securities (USA) LLC (TD Cowen) pursuant to which we may offer and sell, from time to time through TD Cowen, at our option, shares of our common stock having an aggregate offering price of up to $150.0 million in one or more at-the-market offering (the ATM Program) which replaced an earlier sales agreement with Cowen and Company, LLC (the Prior Sales Agreement). During the year ended December 31, 2024, we issued 1,772,278 shares of our common stock under the Prior Sales Agreement. To the extent that we raise additional capital through the sale of equity or convertible debt or equity securities, including pursuant to sales under the 2025 Sales Agreement, your ownership interest will be diluted, our stock price could fall and the terms may include liquidation or other preferences that adversely affect your rights as a stockholder.
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Such financing may result in dilution to stockholders, imposition of debt covenants, increased fixed payment obligations or other restrictions that may affect our business. If we raise additional funds through up-front payments or milestone payments pursuant to strategic collaborations with third parties, we may have to relinquish valuable rights to palazestrant or future product candidates we may develop, or grant licenses on terms that are not favorable to us. In addition, we may seek additional capital due to favorable market conditions or strategic considerations even if we believe we have sufficient funds for our current or future operating plans.
We qualify as a “smaller reporting company” within the meaning of the Exchange Act and may take advantage of certain exemptions from disclosure requirements available to smaller reporting companies, which could make our securities less attractive to investors and may make it more difficult to compare our performance to the performance of other public companies.
Because our annual revenue was less than $100.0 million during the most recently completed fiscal year and the market value of our voting and non-voting common stock held by non-affiliates was less than $700.0 million measured on the last business day of our second fiscal quarter for the year ended December 31, 2024, we qualify as a “smaller reporting company” as defined in the Exchange Act. We may take advantage of certain of the scaled disclosures available to smaller reporting companies including, among other things, not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (Section 404), presenting only the two most recent fiscal years of audited financial statements in our Annual Report on Form 10-K and presenting reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports and proxy statements. We cannot predict whether investors will find our securities less attractive because we will rely on these exemptions. If some investors find our securities less attractive as a result of our reliance on these exemptions, the trading prices of our securities may be lower than they otherwise would be, there may be a less active trading market for our securities and the trading prices of our securities may be more volatile.
New or future changes to tax laws could materially adversely affect our company.
New income, sales, use or other tax laws, statutes, rules, regulations or ordinances could be enacted at any time, which could adversely affect our business operations and financial performance. Further, existing tax laws, statutes, rules, regulations or ordinances could be interpreted, changed, modified or applied adversely to us. For example, the United States passed the Inflation Reduction Act in 2022, which provides for a minimum tax equal to 15% of the adjusted financial statement income of certain large corporations, as well as a 1% excise tax on certain share buybacks by public corporations that would be imposed on such corporations. In addition, it is uncertain if and to what extent various states will conform to federal tax legislation. The impact of such changes or future legislation could increase our U.S. tax expense and could have a material adverse impact on our business and financial condition. In addition, the pricing of our intercompany transactions may be challenged by taxing authorities, with potential increases in income and other taxes that could impact our business and financial condition.
Provisions in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws and Delaware law could make an acquisition of us, which may be beneficial to our stockholders, more difficult and may prevent attempts by our stockholders to replace or remove our current management.
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws may discourage, delay or prevent a merger, acquisition or other change in control of us that stockholders may consider favorable, including transactions in which holders of our common stock might otherwise receive a premium. These provisions also could limit the price that investors might be willing to pay in the future for shares of our common stock, thereby depressing the market price of our common stock. In addition, because our Board of Directors is responsible for appointing the members of our management team, these provisions may frustrate or prevent any attempts by our stockholders to replace or remove our current management by making it more difficult for stockholders to replace members of our Board of Directors. Among other things, these provisions:
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Moreover, because we are incorporated in Delaware, we are governed by the provisions of Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law (DGCL), which prohibits a person who owns 15% or more of our outstanding voting stock from merging or combining with us for a period of three years after the date of the transaction in which the person acquired 15% or more of our outstanding voting stock, unless the merger or combination is approved in a prescribed manner. These provisions could discourage potential acquisition proposals and could delay or prevent a change in control transaction. They could also have the effect of discouraging others from making tender offers for our common stock, including transactions that may be in your best interests. These provisions may also prevent changes in our management or limit the price that investors are willing to pay for our stock.
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware and the federal district courts of the United States will be the exclusive forums for substantially all disputes between us and our stockholders, which could limit our stockholders’ ability to obtain a favorable judicial forum for disputes with us or our directors, officers, or employees.
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware is the exclusive forum for the following types of actions or proceedings under Delaware statutory or common law:
This provision would not apply to suits brought to enforce a duty or liability created by the Exchange Act. Furthermore, Section 22 of the Securities Act creates concurrent jurisdiction for federal and state courts over all such Securities Act actions. Accordingly, both state and federal courts have jurisdiction to entertain such claims. To prevent having to litigate claims in multiple jurisdictions and the threat of inconsistent or contrary rulings by different courts, among other considerations, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation further provides that the federal district courts of the United States will be the exclusive forum for resolving any complaint asserting a cause of action arising under the Securities Act. While the Delaware courts have determined that such choice of forum provisions are facially valid, a stockholder may nevertheless seek to bring a claim in a venue other than those designated in the exclusive forum provisions.
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In such instance, we would expect to vigorously assert the validity and enforceability of the exclusive forum provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation. This may require significant additional costs associated with resolving such action in other jurisdictions and there can be no assurance that the provisions will be enforced by a court in those other jurisdictions.
This exclusive-forum provision may limit a stockholder’s ability to bring a claim in a judicial forum that it finds favorable for disputes with us or our directors, officers or other employees, which may discourage lawsuits against us and our directors, officers and other employees. If a court were to find either exclusive-forum provision in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation to be inapplicable or unenforceable in an action, we may incur further significant additional costs associated with resolving the dispute in other jurisdictions, all of which could seriously harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
We do not currently intend to pay dividends on our common stock and, consequently, your ability to achieve a return on your investment will depend on appreciation of the value of our common stock.
We have never declared or paid any cash dividends on our equity securities. We currently anticipate that we will retain future earnings for the development, operation and expansion of our business and do not anticipate declaring or paying any cash dividends for the foreseeable future. In addition, the terms of the Loan Agreement restrict our ability to declare and pay dividends. Any return to stockholders will therefore be limited to any appreciation in the value of our common stock, which is not certain.
General risk factors
The requirements of being a public company may strain our resources, result in more litigation and divert management’s attention.
As a public company, we are subject to the reporting requirements of the Exchange Act, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, the listing requirements of The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC and other applicable securities rules and regulations. Complying with these rules and regulations has increased and will continue to increase our legal and financial compliance costs, make some activities more difficult, time consuming or costly and increase demand on our systems and resources. The Exchange Act requires, among other things, that we file annual, quarterly and current reports with respect to our business and operating results. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act requires, among other things, that we maintain effective disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting. We are required to disclose changes made in our internal control and procedures on a quarterly basis. In order to maintain and, if required, improve our disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting to meet this standard, significant resources and management oversight may be required. As a result, management’s attention may be diverted from other business concerns, which could significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects. We may also need to hire additional employees or engage outside consultants to comply with these requirements, which will increase our costs and expenses.
In addition, changing laws, regulations and standards relating to corporate governance and public disclosure are creating uncertainty for public companies, increasing legal and financial compliance costs and making some activities more time consuming. These laws, regulations and standards are subject to varying interpretations, in many cases due to their lack of specificity and, as a result, their application in practice may evolve over time as new guidance is provided by regulatory and governing bodies. This could result in continuing uncertainty regarding compliance matters and higher costs necessitated by ongoing revisions to disclosure and governance practices. We intend to invest resources to comply with evolving laws, regulations and standards, and this investment may result in increased general and administrative expenses and a diversion of management’s time and attention from revenue-generating activities to compliance activities. If our efforts to comply with new laws, regulations and standards differ from the activities intended by regulatory or governing bodies due to ambiguities related to their application and practice, regulatory authorities may initiate legal proceedings against us and our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may be significantly harmed.
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These rules and regulations may make it more expensive for us to obtain director and officer liability insurance and, in the future, we may be required to accept reduced coverage or incur substantially higher costs to obtain coverage. These factors could also make it more difficult for us to attract and retain qualified members of our Board of Directors, particularly to serve on our audit committee and compensation committee, and qualified executive officers.
In addition, as a result of our disclosure obligations as a public company, our business and financial condition has become more visible, which we believe may result in threatened or actual litigation, including by competitors and other third parties. If those claims are successful, our business could be seriously harmed. In addition, the market price of our common stock has been and may continue to be volatile and, in the past, companies that have experienced volatility in the market price of their stock have been subject to securities class action litigation and stockholder derivative actions. We may be the target of these types of litigation and claims in the future. Even if any such claims do not result in litigation or are resolved in our favor, the time and resources needed to resolve them could divert our management’s resources and seriously harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
If we fail to maintain an effective system of internal control over financial reporting, we may not be able to accurately report our financial results or prevent fraud. As a result, stockholders could lose confidence in our financial and other public reporting, which would harm our business and the trading price of our common stock.
Effective internal controls over financial reporting are necessary for us to provide reliable financial reports and, together with adequate disclosure controls and procedures, are designed to prevent fraud. Any failure to implement required new or improved controls, or difficulties encountered in their implementation could cause us to fail to meet our reporting obligations. In addition, any testing by us conducted in connection with Section 404, or any subsequent testing by our independent registered public accounting firm, may reveal deficiencies in our internal controls over financial reporting that are deemed to be material weaknesses or that may require prospective or retroactive changes to our financial statements or identify other areas for further attention or improvement. Overall, we will continue with the implementation of additional measures around internal controls, and these will require validation and testing of the design and operating effectiveness of internal controls over a sustained period of financial reporting cycles. If we are unable to avoid future material weaknesses, our operations, financial reporting, or financial results could be harmed. Inferior internal controls could also cause investors to lose confidence in our reported financial information, which could have a negative effect on the trading price of our stock.
If securities or industry analysts do not publish research or reports, or if they publish adverse or misleading research or reports, regarding us, our business or our market, our stock price and trading volume could decline.
The trading market for our common stock is influenced by the research and reports that securities or industry analysts publish about us, our business or our market. If any of the analysts who cover us issue adverse or misleading research or reports regarding us, our business model, our intellectual property, our stock performance or our market, or if our operating results fail to meet the expectations of analysts, our stock price would likely decline. If one or more of these analysts cease coverage of us or fail to publish reports on us regularly, we could lose visibility in the financial markets, which in turn could cause our stock price or trading volume to decline.
Our disclosure controls and procedures may not prevent or detect all errors or acts of fraud.
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We designed our disclosure controls and procedures to reasonably assure that information we must disclose in reports we file or submit under the Exchange Act is accumulated and communicated to management, and recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the rules and forms of the SEC. We believe that any disclosure controls and procedures or internal controls and procedures, no matter how well- conceived and operated, can provide only reasonable, not absolute, assurance that the objectives of the control system are met.
These inherent limitations include the realities that judgments in decision-making can be faulty, and that breakdowns can occur because of simple error or mistake. Additionally, controls can be circumvented by the individual acts of some persons, by collusion of two or more people or by an unauthorized override of the controls. Accordingly, because of the inherent limitations in our control system, misstatements due to error or fraud may occur and not be detected.
Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments.
Not applicable.
Item 1C. Cybersecurity.
Risk management and strategy
We have established and maintain various information security processes designed to identify, assess, and manage cybersecurity risks to our critical computer networks, third-party hosted services, communication systems, hardware, software, and vital data, such as intellectual property, confidential proprietary information, strategic assets, and non-clinical/clinical trial data (Information Systems and Data). Our Chief Operating and Financial Officer, Vice President of Information Technology, vCISO (Virtual Chief Information Security Officer), cybersecurity business partner and IT & Legal teams collaborate to address cybersecurity threats and risks, leveraging our risk register when needed. Our VP of Information Technology, vCISO, members of our in-house IT team, and our third-party cybersecurity business partner all play an active role in monitoring and assessing risks from cyber threats through a variety of methods including automated tools, third-party testing, tabletop incident response exercises, threat actor analysis, industry risk profiling, and collaboration with law enforcement.
We employ a range of measures, processes, standards, and policies tailored to specific environments designed to manage and mitigate material risks from cybersecurity threats to our Information Systems and Data. These include data encryption, network security controls, secure physical facilities, employee training, access management, change management and comprehensive asset management, tracking, and disposal procedures.
Our assessment and management of material risks from cybersecurity threats are integrated into the Company’s overall risk management processes. For example, the security team, which includes our VP of Information Technology, vCISO, and third-party service providers, works with management to prioritize our risk management processes and take steps to mitigate cybersecurity threats that are determined to be more likely to lead to a material impact to our business. Key findings and status of the cybersecurity landscape are reviewed with the Audit Committee of our Board of Directors (the Audit Committee), which evaluates our overall enterprise risk.
We engage various categories of third-party service providers to augment our efforts in monitoring, identifying, assessing, and mitigating significant cybersecurity risks. These third-party service providers encompass a range of expertise, including professional services firms such as legal counsel, cybersecurity consultants with specialized knowledge, providers of cybersecurity software solutions, managed cybersecurity service providers offering ongoing monitoring, protection and support, external testing firms specializing items like penetration testing to evaluate vulnerabilities, and forensic investigators who are enlisted as necessary to conduct comprehensive investigations and assessments when specific incidents or breaches occur.
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We enlist third-party service providers across our business functions, including application providers, hosting companies, contract manufacturers, and supply chain resources. Depending on the service type, data sensitivity, and provider identity, our vendor management process assesses cybersecurity risks and establishes corresponding contractual cybersecurity obligations, tailored to each provider's role and the nature of Information Systems and Data involved.
For a description of the risks from cybersecurity threats that may materially affect the Company and how they may do so, see our risk factors under "Part 1. Item 1A. Risk Factors" in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, including under the section titled "—Risks related to employee matters, managing our growth and other risks related to our business."
Governance
Our Board of Directors retains responsibility for evaluating key business risks faced by the Company, including but not limited to information security. In part, our Board of Directors addresses its general oversight function by delegating the Company's cybersecurity risk management to the Audit Committee. The Audit Committee's responsibilities include supervising risk mitigation efforts related to cybersecurity threats, evaluating the sufficiency and effectiveness of information security policies and practices, and ensuring robust internal controls for information security.
Our cybersecurity risk assessment and management processes are implemented and maintained by certain members of Company management, including our Vice President of Information Technology who has over 15 years of extensive experience managing cybersecurity programs, who reports into our Chief Operating and Financial Officer. The Vice President of Information Technology is responsible for hiring appropriate personnel, helping to integrate cybersecurity risk considerations into the Company's overall risk management strategy, and communicating key priorities to relevant personnel. The Chief Operating and Financial Officer is responsible for approving budgets, aiding in the preparation for cybersecurity incidents, approving cybersecurity processes, and reviewing security assessments and other security-related reports.
Our cybersecurity incident response procedures involve escalating specific incidents to certain members of management as needed, including the Vice President of Information Technology, Chief Operating and Financial Officer and the Chief Executive Officer. The Chief Operating and Financial Officer collaborates with our incident response team, which includes members of our in-house IT, facilities, human resources, regulatory, legal, and communications teams, to address and resolve reported cybersecurity incidents. Olema’s incident response procedures mandate reporting certain types of cybersecurity incidents to the Audit Committee and other agencies as required by law.
The Audit Committee periodically receives reports from the Vice President of Information Technology on the Company's significant cybersecurity threats, risks, and mitigation processes. The Audit Committee also receives various summaries, presentations, and reports pertaining to cybersecurity threats, risks, and mitigation.
Item 2. Properties.
Our corporate headquarters are located in San Francisco, California, where we lease approximately 20,500 square feet of office and laboratory space pursuant to lease agreements that expire between December 2025 and September 2026. We believe that these existing facilities will be adequate for our near-term needs. If required, we believe that suitable additional or alternative space would be available in the future on commercially reasonable terms.
Item 3. Legal Proceedings.
From time to time, we may become involved in legal proceedings or be subject to claims arising in the ordinary course of our business. We are not currently a party to any material legal proceedings. Regardless of outcome, such proceedings or claims can have an adverse impact on us because of defense and settlement costs, diversion of resources and other factors, and there can be no assurances that favorable outcomes will be obtained.
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Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures.
Not applicable.
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PART II
Item 5. Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities. Market Information
Our common stock has been listed on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol “OLMA” since November 19, 2020. Prior to that date, there was no public trading market for our common stock.
Holders of Record
As of the close of business on March 13, 2025, there were 67 stockholders of record of our common stock. The actual number of stockholders is greater than this number of record holders, and includes stockholders who are beneficial owners, but whose shares are held in street name by brokers and other nominees. This number of holders of record also does not include stockholders whose shares may be held in trust by other entities.
Dividends
We have never declared or paid cash dividends on our common stock. We currently intend to retain all available funds and future earnings, if any, to fund the development and expansion of our business, and we do not anticipate paying any cash dividends in the foreseeable future. Any future determination regarding the declaration and payment of dividends, if any, will be at the discretion of our Board of Directors and will depend on then-existing conditions, including our financial condition, operating results, contractual restrictions, capital requirements, business prospects and other factors our Board of Directors may deem relevant.
Securities Authorized for Issuance under Equity Compensation Plans
Information about our equity compensation plans is incorporated herein by reference to Item 12 of Part III of this Annual Report.
Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities
There were no sales of equity securities during the three months ended December 31, 2024 that were not registered under the Securities Act and were not previously reported in a Current Report on Form 8-K filed by us.
Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities
None.
Item 6. Reserved.
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Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.
The following management’s discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included as part of this Annual Report. This discussion contains forward-looking statements that reflect our plans, estimates and beliefs and involve risks and uncertainties. Our actual results and the timing of certain events could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of several factors, including those discussed in the section titled “Risk Factors” included under Part I, Item 1A and elsewhere in this Annual Report. See “Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” in this Annual Report.
Overview
Olema is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, development, and commercialization of next generation targeted therapies for breast cancer and beyond. We are advancing our pipeline of novel therapies by leveraging our deep understanding of endocrine-driven cancers, nuclear receptors, and mechanisms of acquired resistance.
Our lead product candidate, palazestrant, is a novel, orally-available small molecule with dual activity as both a CERAN and SERD, currently being investigated in patients with recurrent, locally advanced or metastatic ER+/HER2-, breast cancer. In non-clinical models, palazestrant binds and completely blocks ER-driven transcriptional activity in both wild-type and mutant forms of metastatic ER+ breast cancer. In clinical studies across more than 400 patients, palazestrant has demonstrated strong anti-tumor activity, attractive pharmacokinetics and prolonged drug exposure, favorable tolerability, and combinability with CDK4/6 inhibitors with no significant drug-drug interaction. Based on the clinical results we have achieved to date, we are advancing palazestrant through late-stage clinical development both as a monotherapy and in combination with other targeted agents.
In November 2023, we initiated OPERA-01, the pivotal Phase 3 clinical trial of palazestrant as a monotherapy in second/third-line ER+/HER2- metastatic breast cancer. We anticipate top-line results in 2026.
In combination, we are investigating palazestrant in multiple Phase 1/2 studies with CDK4/6 inhibitors (palbociclib or ribociclib), a PI3Ka inhibitor (alpelisib), and with an mTOR inhibitor (everolimus). In March 2024, we increased the size of the ongoing Phase 1/2 clinical study of palazestrant in combination with ribociclib by an additional 15 patients to explore 90 mg of palazestrant in combination with 600 mg of ribociclib. We also initiated our Phase 1b/2 clinical study of palazestrant in combination with an mTOR inhibitor, everolimus, in the third quarter of 2024. Further, in October 2024, we presented new non-clinical data at the EORTC-NCI-AACR Symposium on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics showing that the combination of palazestrant with both everolimus and capivasertib may be synergistic and have the potential to result in significant tumor regression.
More recently, we presented updated results from the ongoing Phase 1b/2 clinical trial of palazestrant in combination with ribociclib in patients with ER+/HER2- advanced or metastatic breast cancer at SABCS in December 2024. In March 2025, we disclosed updated median PFS (mPFS) from this study at the TD Cowen 45th Annual Health Care Conference. As of a data cutoff date of February 18, 2025, the mPFS was 13.8 months in 56 patients treated with 120 mg of palazestrant and 600 mg of ribociclib daily. 40 of the 56 patients had received prior treatment of a CDK4/6i plus an ET; the mPFS in this population was 13.1 months.These data further support our thesis that palazestrant possesses key characteristics to make it a potential backbone endocrine therapy of preference for ER+/HER2- breast cancer, while also providing the basis for a new pivotal Phase 3 clinical trial of palazestrant in combination with ribociclib in front-line ER+/HER2- metastatic breast cancer, called OPERA-02. The execution of OPERA-02 will be supported by our new clinical trial collaboration and supply agreement with Novartis, which was announced in December 2024. Under the terms of the agreement, Novartis will provide Olema with ribociclib drug supply for OPERA-02, which we expect to initiate in 2025.
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Our second product candidate in clinical development, called OP-3136, is a novel, orally-available small molecule that potently and selectively inhibits KAT6, an epigenetic target that is dysregulated in breast and other cancers. We believe OP-3136 presents a potential best-in-class KAT6 inhibitor in breast and other solid tumor cancers. In October 2024, we presented new non-clinical data at the EORTC-NCI-AACR Symposium on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics demonstrating OP-3136's robust anti-tumor activity as a single agent, as well as potential synergy and enhanced anti-tumor activity in combination with palazestrant. The IND application for OP-3136 was cleared by the U.S FDA in late 2024 and the Phase 1 clinical trial is now enrolling patients.
Since our inception, we have devoted substantially all of our resources to organizing and staffing our company, research and development activities, business planning, raising capital, establishing and maintaining our intellectual property portfolio, conducting non-clinical studies and clinical trials and providing general and administrative support for these operations.
We do not have any product candidates approved for commercial sale, and we have not generated any revenue from product sales. Our ability to generate product revenue sufficient to achieve profitability, if ever, will depend on the successful development and eventual commercialization of one or more of our product candidates which we expect, if it ever occurs, will take a number of years. We also do not own or operate, and currently have no plans to establish, any manufacturing facilities. We rely, and expect to continue to rely, on third parties for the manufacture of our product candidates for non-clinical and clinical testing, as well as for commercial manufacturing if any of our product candidates obtain marketing approval. We believe that this strategy allows us to maintain a more efficient infrastructure by eliminating the need for us to invest in our own manufacturing facilities, equipment and personnel while also enabling us to focus our expertise and resources on the development of our product candidates.
We have incurred significant operating losses since the commencement of our operations. Our net losses were $129.5 million and $96.7 million for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. We expect to incur significant and increasing losses for the foreseeable future as we continue to advance our product candidates, make potential milestone payments to our licensors, and as we continue to operate as a public company. Our net losses may fluctuate significantly from period to period, depending on the timing of expenditures on our research and development activities. As of December 31, 2024, we had an accumulated deficit of $435.1 million. Our primary use of cash is to fund operating expenses, which consist primarily of research and development expenditures and general and administrative expenditures. Cash used to fund operating expenses is impacted by the timing of when we pay these expenses, as reflected in the change in our outstanding accounts payable and other current liabilities.
We expect to continue to incur net operating losses for at least the next several years, and we expect our research and development expenses, general and administrative expenses, and capital expenditures will continue to increase. We expect our expenses and capital requirements will increase significantly in connection with our ongoing activities as we:
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Our net losses may fluctuate significantly from quarter-to-quarter and year-to-year, depending on the timing of our clinical trials, potential milestone payments to our licensors, and our expenditures on other research and development activities.
We will require substantial additional funding to develop our product candidates and support our continuing operations beyond our current operating plans. Until such time that we can generate significant revenue from product sales or other sources, if ever, we expect to finance our operations through the sale of equity, debt financings or other capital sources, which could include income from collaborations, strategic partnerships or marketing, distribution, licensing or other strategic arrangements with third parties, or from grants. We may be unable to raise additional funds or to enter into such agreements or arrangements on favorable terms, or at all. Our ability to raise additional funds may be adversely impacted by potential worsening global economic conditions and volatility in, the credit and financial markets in the United States and worldwide resulting from geopolitical and macroeconomic conditions. Our failure to obtain sufficient funds on acceptable terms when needed could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations or financial condition, including requiring us to have to delay, reduce or eliminate our product development or future commercialization efforts. Insufficient liquidity may also require us to relinquish rights to product candidates at an earlier stage of development or on less favorable terms than we would otherwise choose. The amount and timing of our future funding requirements will depend on many factors, including the pace and results of our development efforts. We cannot provide assurance that we will ever be profitable or generate positive cash flow from operating activities.
Global economic and business activities continue to face widespread uncertainty due to the geopolitical and macroeconomic environment, generally, including economic uncertainty, market volatility, labor shortages, tariffs and trade tensions, the ongoing conflicts between Ukraine and Russia and in the Middle East, as well as any related political or economic responses and counter-responses or otherwise by various global actors, inflation rates and the responses by central banking authorities to control such inflation, monetary supply shifts, and related financial instability. The extent of the impact of these factors on our operational and financial performance, including our ability to execute our business strategies and initiatives in the expected time frame, will depend on future developments, which are uncertain and cannot be predicted. Any continued or renewed disruption resulting from these factors could negatively impact our business. We continue to monitor the impact of these geopolitical and macroeconomic factors on our results of operations, financial condition and cash flows.
Components of our results of operations
Revenue
To date, we have not generated any revenue from product sales and do not expect to generate any revenue from the sale of products for the foreseeable future.
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Operating expenses
Research and development
Research and development expenses account for a significant portion of our operating expenses and consist primarily of external and internal expenses incurred in connection with the discovery and development of our product candidates. To date, our research and development expenses have related primarily to discovery efforts and non-clinical and clinical development of our lead product candidate, palazestrant, as well as OP-3136. Research and development expenses are recognized as incurred and payments made prior to the receipt of goods or services to be used in research and development are capitalized until the goods or services are received.
External expenses include:
Internal expenses include employee and personnel-related costs and expenses, including salaries, benefits and stock-based compensation expense for employees and personnel engaged in research and development functions.
We expense research and development expenses in the periods in which they are incurred. Costs for certain activities, such as manufacturing and non-clinical studies and clinical trials, are generally recognized based on an evaluation of the progress to completion of specific tasks using information and data provided to us by our vendors and collaborators.
We typically use our employee, consultant and infrastructure resources across our development programs. We track outsourced development costs by product candidate or non-clinical program, but we do not allocate personnel costs, other internal costs or external consultant costs to specific product candidates or non-clinical programs.
While our research and development expenses may fluctuate from period to period, we generally expect our research and development expenses to increase substantially in absolute dollars for the foreseeable future as we advance palazestrant, OP-3136 or any other future product candidates we may develop into and through non-clinical studies and clinical trials and pursue regulatory approval of our product candidates. The process of conducting the necessary clinical research to obtain regulatory approval is costly and time-consuming. The actual probability of success for palazestrant, OP-3136 or any other future product candidates we may develop may be affected by a variety of factors including but not limited to: the safety and efficacy of our product candidates, early clinical data, investment in our clinical program, the ability of collaborators to successfully develop our licensed product candidates, competition, manufacturing capability and commercial viability. We may never succeed in achieving regulatory approval for our product candidates. As a result of the uncertainties discussed above, we are unable to determine the duration and completion costs of our research and development projects or when and to what extent we will generate revenue from the commercialization and sale of palazestrant, OP-3136 or any other future product candidates we may develop. Clinical and non-clinical development timelines, the probability of success and development costs can differ materially from expectations.
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We anticipate that we will make determinations as to which product candidates to pursue and how much funding to direct to each product candidate on an ongoing basis in response to the results of ongoing and future non-clinical studies and clinical trials, regulatory developments and our ongoing assessments as to each product candidate’s commercial potential. In addition, we cannot forecast whether palazestrant, OP-3136 or any other future product candidates we may develop may be subject to future collaborations, when such arrangements will be secured, if at all, and to what degree such arrangements would affect our development plans and capital requirements. We are also unable to predict when, if ever, we will generate revenue from our product candidates to offset these expenses. Our expenditures on current and future non-clinical and clinical development programs are subject to numerous uncertainties in timing and cost to completion. The duration, costs and timing of non-clinical studies and clinical trials and development of our product candidates will depend on a variety of factors, including:
Any changes in the outcome of any of these factors could significantly impact the costs, timing and viability associated with the development of our product candidates.
General and administrative
General and administrative expenses consist primarily of personnel expenses, including salaries, benefits and stock-based compensation expense, for personnel in executive, finance, accounting, business development, legal, human resources, information technology (IT), and administrative functions. General and administrative expenses also include costs not otherwise included in research and development expenses, including corporate facility costs, depreciation and other expenses, which include direct or allocated expenses for rent and maintenance of facilities and insurance, and professional fees for legal, patent and consulting services.
120
While our general and administrative expenses may fluctuate from period to period, we generally expect that our general and administrative expenses will increase in the foreseeable future as we increase our headcount to support the continued research and development of our programs and the growth of our business. We also anticipate incurring additional expenses associated with operating as a public company, including increased expenses related to the building and improving of our IT infrastructure, including cyber security monitoring, legal, other regulatory and compliance, director and officer insurance, investor and public relations and tax-related services associated with maintaining compliance with the rules and regulations of the SEC and standards applicable to companies listed on a national securities exchange, additional insurance expenses, investor relations activities and other administrative and professional services.
Total other income
Total other income consists of interest income and other income. Interest income primarily consists of interest income on our cash equivalents and marketable securities. Other income primarily consists of unrealized foreign currency remeasurement gain (loss) and miscellaneous income (expense) not related to operating activities.
Results of operations
Comparison of the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023
The following table summarizes our results of operations for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023:
|
|
|
Year Ended December 31, |
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||
|
|
|
2024 |
|
|
2023 |
|
|
$ Change |
|
|||||
|
|
|
(in thousands) |
|
|||||||||||
Operating expenses: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||
Research and development |
|
$ |
|
124,517 |
|
|
$ |
|
86,140 |
|
|
$ |
|
38,377 |
|
General and administrative |
|
|
|
17,741 |
|
|
|
|
18,821 |
|
|
|
|
(1,080 |
) |
Total operating expenses |
|
|
|
142,258 |
|
|
|
|
104,961 |
|
|
|
|
37,297 |
|
Loss from operations |
|
|
|
(142,258 |
) |
|
|
|
(104,961 |
) |
|
|
|
(37,297 |
) |
Other income (expense): |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||
Interest income |
|
|
|
12,682 |
|
|
|
|
8,325 |
|
|
|
|
4,357 |
|
Other income (expense) |
|
|
|
102 |
|
|
|
|
(19 |
) |
|
|
|
121 |
|
Total other income |
|
|
|
12,784 |
|
|
|
|
8,306 |
|
|
|
|
4,478 |
|
Net loss |
|
$ |
|
(129,474 |
) |
|
$ |
|
(96,655 |
) |
|
$ |
|
(32,819 |
) |
Research and development expenses
The following table summarizes our research and development expenses by functional area for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023:
|
|
|
Year Ended December 31, |
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||
|
|
|
2024 |
|
|
2023 |
|
|
$ Change |
|
|||||
|
|
|
(in thousands) |
|
|||||||||||
CROs, CMOs and other clinical development related third-party vendor expenses |
|
$ |
|
52,166 |
|
|
$ |
|
33,650 |
|
|
$ |
|
18,516 |
|
Compensation and related benefits |
|
|
|
26,964 |
|
|
|
|
23,726 |
|
|
|
|
3,238 |
|
Stock-based compensation |
|
|
|
16,543 |
|
|
|
|
11,769 |
|
|
|
|
4,774 |
|
Aurigene |
|
|
|
5,000 |
|
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
5,000 |
|
Other research and development expenses |
|
|
|
23,844 |
|
|
|
|
16,995 |
|
|
|
|
6,849 |
|
Total research and development expenses |
|
$ |
|
124,517 |
|
|
$ |
|
86,140 |
|
|
$ |
|
38,377 |
|
121
Research and development expenses for the year ended December 31, 2024 were $124.5 million, compared to $86.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2023. The increase of $38.4 million was primarily due to (i) increased spending on clinical operations and development-related activities as we continue to advance palazestrant through late-stage clinical trials, (ii) other research and development activities associated with the advancement of our KAT6 inhibitor program, and (iii) personnel-related costs related to increased headcount, including an increase in non-cash stock-based compensation expense of $4.8 million.
General and administrative expenses
General and administrative expenses for the year ended December 31, 2024 were $17.7 million compared to $18.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2023. The decrease of $1.1 million was primarily due to decreased spending on corporate-related costs, partially offset by an increase in non-cash stock-based compensation expense of $0.6 million related to increased headcount.
Other income
Other income for the year ended December 31, 2024 was $12.8 million, compared to $8.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2023. The increase of $4.5 million was primarily due to an increase in interest income from our marketable securities due to higher investment balance.
Liquidity and capital resources
Sources of liquidity
Since our inception, we have not generated any revenue from product sales and have incurred significant operating losses and negative cash flows from our operations. Our net losses were $129.5 million and $96.7 million for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. Through December 31, 2024, we had received aggregate gross proceeds of $789.0 million from sales of our common stock, convertible preferred stock and issuance of convertible promissory notes, stock option exercises, and sale of stock through the Company’s 2020 Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP).
As of December 31, 2024, we had $434.1 million in cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities and accumulated deficit of $435.1 million. We had no debt outstanding as of December 31, 2024.
On September 5, 2023, we entered into a stock purchase agreement for a private placement of 13,211,381 shares of our common stock, at a price of $9.84 per share, to selected institutional and accredited investors (the 2023 Private Placement), resulting in gross proceeds of approximately $130.0 million. After deducting offering expenses related to the 2023 Private Placement of approximately $0.3 million, the net proceeds to us from the 2023 Private Placement were approximately $129.7 million.
Also on September 5, 2023, we entered into a loan and security agreement (the Original Loan Agreement) with Silicon Valley Bank, a division of First Citizens Bank & Trust Company (the Bank), which provided us with an aggregate principal amount of up to $50.0 million (the Original Credit Facility). On June 28, 2024, we entered into the First Amendment to Loan and Security Agreement (the Amendment, and the Original Loan Agreement as amended by the Amendment, the Loan Agreement), with the Bank. The Amendment amends the Original Loan Agreement in order to, among other things, (i) increase the aggregate principal amount of the Original Credit Facility from up to $50.0 million to up to $100.0 million (the Credit Facility) of which $25.0 million is currently available, an additional $25.0 million will become available upon achieving certain milestones related to execution of a first-line pivotal Phase 3 clinical trial of palazestrant in combination with ribociclib, and an additional $50.0 million which may be made available upon approval of the Bank in its discretion, and (ii) extend the maturity date to July 1, 2028. As of December 31, 2024, we had not drawn down from the Credit Facility.
On November 29, 2024, we entered into a securities purchase agreement for a private placement of (i) 19,928,875 shares of our common stock at a price of $9.08 per share and (ii) pre-funded warrants to purchase up to an aggregate of 7,604,163 shares of our common stock at a price of $9.0799 per pre-funded warrant, which represents the per share purchase price of the common stock sold in the private placement less the $0.0001 per share exercise price for each pre-funded warrant to selected institutional and accredited investors (the 2024 Private Placement).
122
The aggregate gross proceeds for the 2024 Private Placement was approximately $250.0 million. After deducting offering expenses related to the 2024 Private Placement of approximately $6.5 million (the remaining $6.5 million was included in Other current liabilities in the consolidated balance sheets), the net proceeds to us from the 2024 Private Placement were approximately $243.5 million.
On January 5, 2024, we entered into a sales agreement (the 2024 Sales Agreement), with Cowen and Company, LLC (TD Cowen), as sales agent, pursuant to which we may offer and sell, from time to time, shares of our common stock, having an aggregate offering price of up to $150.0 million (the 2024 ATM Shares). The sales, if any, of the ATM Shares will be made by any method permitted that is deemed to be an “at-the-market” (ATM), equity offering as defined in Rule 415(a)(4) promulgated under the Securities Act, including sales made directly on or through the Nasdaq Global Select Market. We have agreed to pay TD Cowen a commission of up to 3.0% of the aggregate gross proceeds from any ATM Shares sold by TD Cowen. During the year ended December 31, 2024, we issued 1,772,278 shares of our common stock under the Sales Agreement at a weighted-average price of $13.19 for net proceeds of $22.8 million after deducting related issuance costs. As of December 31, 2024, approximately $126.6 million remained available for issuance under the Sales Agreement.
On January 6, 2025, we entered into a sales agreement (the 2025 Sales Agreement) with TD Securities (USA) LLC, (TD Cowen) as sales agent, pursuant to which the Company may offer and sell, from time to time, shares of the Company's common stock, having an aggregate offering price of up to $150.0 million (the 2025 ATM Shares). The 2025 Sales Agreement replaces our prior 2024 Sales Agreement, dated January 5, 2024. The sales of the 2025 ATM Shares will be made by any method permitted that is deemed to be an "at-the-market" equity offering as defined in Rule 415(a)(4) promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, including sales made directly on or through the Nasdaq Global Select Market. We have agreed to pay TD Cowen a commission of up to 3.0% of the aggregate gross proceeds from any ATM Shares sold by TD Cowen.
We expect to incur significant expenses and operating losses for the foreseeable future as we advance the clinical development of palazestrant, OP-3136 and non-clinical studies. We expect that our research and development and general and administrative costs will increase in connection with conducting additional non-clinical studies and clinical trials for our current and future research programs and product candidates, contracting with CMOs to support non-clinical studies and clinical trials, expanding our intellectual property portfolio, and providing general and administrative support for our operations. As a result, we will need additional capital to fund our operations, which we may obtain from additional equity or debt financings, collaborations, licensing arrangements or other sources.
Our primary uses of cash are to fund our research and development activities, including with respect to palazestrant, OP-3136 and other non-clinical programs, business planning, establishing and maintaining our intellectual property portfolio, hiring personnel, raising capital and providing general and administrative support for these operations.
Other than as noted above, we currently have no financing commitments, such as lines of credit or guarantees, that are expected to affect our liquidity over the next five years.
Future funding and material cash requirements
To date, we have not generated any revenue from product sales. We do not expect to generate any meaningful revenue unless and until we obtain regulatory approval of and commercialize any of our product candidates, and we do not know when, or if at all, that will occur. We expect our expenses to increase in connection with our ongoing activities, particularly as we initiate and conduct clinical trials of, and seek marketing approval for, palazestrant or OP-3136. In addition, if we obtain marketing approval for our product candidates, we expect to incur significant commercialization expenses related to program sales, marketing, manufacturing and distribution to the extent that such sales, marketing and distribution are not the responsibility of potential collaborators. Furthermore, we have incurred and expect to continue to incur additional costs associated with operating as a public company.
123
The amount and timing of our future funding requirements will depend on many factors, including the pace and results of our development efforts.
We expect our cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities as of December 31, 2024, as well as the available balance under the Credit Facility, will enable us to fund our current operating plan for at least the next 12 months from the filing date of these consolidated financial statements.
The following table presents our material cash requirements for future periods:
|
|
Material cash requirements due by period |
|
||||||||||||
|
|
Less than 1 |
|
|
More than 1 |
|
|
|
|
||||||
(in thousands) |
|
year |
|
|
year |
|
|
Total |
|
||||||
Operating leases (1) |
|
$ |
|
1,245 |
|
|
$ |
|
263 |
|
|
$ |
|
1,508 |
|
In addition, under the Aurigene Agreement, we have payment obligations that are contingent upon future events such as the achievement of specified development, regulatory and commercial milestones. Financial terms of the Aurigene Agreement include potential future milestone payments of up to $55.0 million in clinical development and regulatory milestones, and up to $370.0 million in commercial milestones. Aurigene is also eligible to receive mid-single digit to the low double digit royalties as percentages of product sales, if any. The amount and timing of milestone obligations are unknown or uncertain as we are unable to estimate the timing or likelihood of achieving the milestone events. Additionally, the amount of royalty payments are based upon future product sales, which we are unable to predict with certainty. These potential obligations are further described in Note 12 to our audited consolidated financial statements.
We also enter into contracts in the normal course of business with CROs and clinical sites for the conduct of clinical trials, non-clinical research studies, professional consultants for expert advice and other vendors for clinical supply manufacturing or other services. These contracts generally provide for termination on notice, and therefore are cancelable contracts.
If we are unable to raise capital when needed or on attractive terms, we would be forced to delay, reduce or eliminate our research and development programs or future commercialization efforts. Our future capital requirements will depend on many factors, including:
124
Identifying potential product candidates and conducting non-clinical studies and clinical trials is a time- consuming, expensive and uncertain process that takes many years to complete, and we may never generate the necessary data or results required to obtain marketing approval and achieve product sales. In addition, our product candidates, if approved, may not achieve commercial success. Our commercial revenues, if any, will be derived from sales of one or more product candidates that we do not expect to be commercially available for many years, if at all. Accordingly, we will need to continue to rely on additional financing to achieve our business objectives. Adequate additional financing may not be available to us on acceptable terms, or at all.
Until such time, if ever, as we can generate substantial product revenues, we expect to finance our cash needs through a combination of equity offerings, debt financings, collaborations, strategic alliances and licensing arrangements. To the extent that we raise additional capital through the sale of equity or convertible debt securities, existing stockholders’ ownership interests will be diluted, and the terms of these securities may include liquidation or other preferences that adversely affect the rights of existing stockholders. Debt financing, if available, may involve agreements that include covenants limiting or restricting our ability to take specific actions, such as incurring additional debt, making capital expenditures or declaring dividends.
If we raise funds through collaborations, strategic alliances or licensing arrangements with third parties, we may have to relinquish valuable rights to our technologies, future revenue streams, research programs or product candidates or to grant licenses on terms that may not be favorable to us. If we are unable to raise additional funds through equity or debt financings when needed, we may be required to delay, limit, reduce or terminate our product development or future commercialization efforts or grant rights to develop and market product candidates that we would otherwise prefer to develop and market ourselves.
Cash flows
The following table shows a summary of our cash flows for each of the periods presented:
|
|
Year Ended December 31, |
|
|||||||
(in thousands) |
|
2024 |
|
|
2023 |
|
||||
Net cash used in operating activities |
|
$ |
|
(104,351 |
) |
|
$ |
|
(83,727 |
) |
Net cash used in investing activities |
|
|
|
(93,526 |
) |
|
|
|
(4,851 |
) |
Net cash provided by financing activities |
|
|
|
268,818 |
|
|
|
|
133,415 |
|
Net increase in cash and cash equivalents |
|
$ |
|
70,941 |
|
|
$ |
|
44,837 |
|
Operating activities
Net cash used in operating activities during the year ended December 31, 2024 consisted primarily of our net loss of $129.5 million and non-cash interest income on our marketable securities of $8.2 million, offset by non-cash charges of $23.0 million and net increase in operating assets and liabilities of $10.3 million. The net loss consisted primarily of $124.5 million in research and development expenses and $17.7 million in general and administrative expenses. The non-cash charges consisted primarily of stock-based compensation expense of $22.6 million, depreciation and amortization expenses of $0.4 million, and non-cash lease expense of less than $0.1 million, net of cash payments of $1.2 million. The net increase in operating assets and liabilities was primarily due to (i) an increase of $11.2 million in accrued and other current liabilities and (ii) an increase of $2.5 million in accounts payable, which is primarily resulted from timing of invoicing by vendors and related payments. The changes are mainly offset by (i) an increase of $3.0 million in other assets and long-term deposits and (ii) an increase of $0.4 million in prepaid expenses and other current assets.
125
Net cash used in operating activities during the year ended December 31, 2023 consisted primarily of our net loss of $96.7 million and non-cash interest income on our marketable securities of $5.5 million, offset by net non-cash charges of $17.8 million and a net increase of $0.6 million in operating assets and liabilities. The net loss consisted primarily of $86.1 million in research and development expenses and $18.8 million in general and administrative expenses. The non-cash charges consisted primarily of stock-based compensation of $17.3 million, depreciation and amortization expenses of $0.4 million, loss on disposal of equipment of $0.1 million, and non-cash lease expense of less than $0.1 million, net of cash payments of $1.2 million. The change in operating assets and liabilities was primarily due to (i) an increase of $2.9 million in other current liabilities, (ii) an increase of $2.3 million in accounts payable, whic primarily resulted from timing of invoicing by vendors and related payments, and (iii) a decrease of $0.7 million in prepaid expenses and other current assets. The changes are mainly offset by an increase of $5.3 million in other assets and long-term deposits.
Investing Activities
Net cash used in investing activities during the year ended December 31, 2024 was predominantly due to purchases of marketable securities which were partially offset by maturities of marketable securities.
Net cash used in investing activities during the year ended December 31, 2023 was predominately due to the purchase of marketable securities which was partially offset by the maturities of marketable securities.
Financing activities
Net cash provided by financing activities during the year ended December 31, 2024 consists of $243.5 million in net proceeds from the 2024 Private Placement, $22.8 million in net proceeds from the sale of ATM Shares, $1.7 million from the exercise of stock options, and $0.9 million from the sale of our common stock under the ESPP.
Net cash provided by financing activities during the year ended December 31, 2023 consists of $129.7 million in net proceeds from the 2023 Private Placement, $2.7 million from the exercise of stock options, and $1.1 million from the sale of our common stock under the 2020 ESPP.
Critical accounting estimates
Our management’s discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations are based on our consolidated financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (U.S. GAAP). The preparation of our consolidated financial statements and related disclosures requires us to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, expenses and the disclosure of our contingent liabilities in our consolidated financial statements. We base our estimates on historical experience, known trends and events and various other factors that we believe are reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. We evaluate our estimates and assumptions on an ongoing basis. Our actual results may differ from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions.
While our significant accounting policies are described in more detail in Note 2 to our consolidated financial statements elsewhere in this Annual Report, we believe that the following accounting policies are those most critical to the judgments and estimates used in the preparation of our audited consolidated financial statements.
Accrued research and development expenses
As part of the process of preparing our consolidated financial statements, we are required to estimate our accrued research and development expenses. This process involves reviewing purchase orders and open contracts, communicating with our personnel and service providers to identify services that have been performed on our behalf and estimating the level of service performed and the associated cost incurred for the services when we have not yet been invoiced or otherwise notified of the actual cost. The majority of our service providers invoice us monthly in arrears for services performed or when contractual milestones are met; however, some require advance payments.
126
We make estimates of our accrued expenses as of each balance sheet date in our consolidated financial statements based on facts and circumstances known to us at that time. We periodically confirm the accuracy of our estimates with the service providers and make adjustments if necessary. The significant estimates in our accrued research and development expenses include the costs incurred for services performed by CROs and CMOs among others, in connection with research and development activities for which we have not yet been invoiced. We contract with CROs and CMOs to conduct clinical and manufacturing and other research and development services on our behalf. We base our expenses related to CROs and CMOs on our estimates of the services received and efforts expended pursuant to quotes and contracts with them. The financial terms of these agreements are subject to negotiation, vary from contract to contract and may result in uneven payment flows. There may be instances in which payments made to our CROs or CMOs will exceed the level of services provided and result in a prepayment of the research and development expense. In accruing service fees, we estimate the time period over which services will be performed and the level of effort to be expended in each period. If the actual timing of the performance of services or the level of effort varies from our estimate, we adjust the accrual or amount of prepaid expense accordingly. Non-refundable advance payments for goods and services that will be used in future research and development activities are expensed when the activity has been performed or when the goods have been received rather than when the payment is made. Although we do not expect our estimates to be materially different from amounts actually incurred, our understanding of the status and timing of services performed relative to the actual status and timing of services performed may vary and may result in us reporting amounts that are too high or too low in any particular period. To date, there have been no material differences between our estimates of such expenses and the amounts actually incurred.
Smaller reporting company
Because our annual revenue was less than $100.0 million in 2024 and the market value of our voting and non-voting common stock held by non-affiliates was less than $700.0 million measured on the last business day of our second fiscal quarter in 2024, we qualify as a “smaller reporting company” as defined in the Exchange Act. We took advantage of certain of the scaled disclosures available to smaller reporting companies including, among other things, not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (Section 404), presenting only the two most recent fiscal years of audited financial statements in our Annual Report on Form 10-K and presenting reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports and proxy statements.
Recently issued accounting pronouncements
See Note 2 to our consolidated financial statements contained in this Annual Report for a description of recent accounting pronouncements applicable to our consolidated financial statements.
Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk.
Interest rate risk
We are exposed to market risks in the ordinary course of our business. These risks primarily include interest rate sensitivities. As of December 31, 2024 and 2023, we had cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities of $434.1 million and $261.8 million, respectively. We generally hold our cash in interest-bearing bank accounts and money market funds. Our primary exposure to market risk is interest rate sensitivity, which is affected by changes in the general level of U.S. interest rates. An immediate 100 basis point change in interest rates would not have a material effect on the fair market value of our cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities.
Financial institution risk
Substantially all of our cash is held with a single financial institution. Due to its size, this financial institution represents a minimal credit risk. Cash amounts held at financial institutions are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation up to $250,000.
127
Foreign currency exchange risk
Our expenses are generally denominated in U.S. dollars. To date, we have not had any significant foreign currency transactions, and we do not have a formal hedging program with respect to foreign currency. A 10.0% increase or decrease in current exchange rates would not have a material effect on our financial results.
Effects of inflation
Inflation generally affects us by increasing our cost of labor and research and development costs. We do not believe that inflation has had a material effect on our results of operations during the periods presented.
128
Item 8. Consolidated Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.
Olema Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Index to consolidated financial statements
|
Page |
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm (PCAOB ID No. 42) |
130 |
132 |
|
Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Loss |
133 |
134 |
|
135 |
|
136 |
129
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
To the Stockholders and the Board of Directors of Olema Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Opinion on the Financial Statements
We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Olema Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (the Company) as of December 31, 2024 and 2023, the related consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss, stockholders' equity, and cash flows for each of the two years in the period ended December 31, 2024, and the related notes (collectively referred to as the “consolidated financial statements”). In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company at December 31, 2024 and 2023, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the two years in the period ended December 31, 2024, in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.
Basis for Opinion
These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company's management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s financial statements based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB) and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. The Company is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. As part of our audit, we are required to obtain an understanding of internal control over financial reporting but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Company's internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion.
Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
Critical Audit Matters
The critical audit matter communicated below is a matter arising from the current period audit of the financial statements that was communicated or required to be communicated to the audit committee and that: (1) relates to accounts or disclosures that are material to the consolidated financial statements and (2) involved our especially challenging, subjective or complex judgments. The communication of the critical audit matter does not alter in any way our opinion on the consolidated financial statements, taken as a whole, and we are not, by communicating the critical audit matter below, providing a separate opinion on the critical audit matter or on the account or disclosure to which it relates.
|
|
|
Clinical Trial Accrual |
|
Description of the Matter
|
As discussed in Note 2 in the consolidated financial statements, the Company enters into contracts with contract research organizations (CROs) to conduct clinical services on their behalf. Judgments and estimates are required to determine the amounts accrued for estimated ongoing research and development costs. The Company analyzes the progress of the studies or clinical trials, including the phase or |
130
|
completion of activities, invoices received and contracted costs. Auditing the Company’s accrual for clinical trial costs is complex since the information necessary to estimate the accruals is accumulated from the CROs and the Company's assessment of that information is subject to variability and uncertainty. In addition, in certain circumstances, the determination of the nature and amounts of services that have been received during the reporting period requires judgment because the timing and pattern of vendor invoicing does not correspond to the level of services provided, and there may be delays in invoicing from clinical study sites and other vendors. |
|
How We Addressed the Matter in Our Audit
|
To test the clinical trial accrual, our audit procedures included, among others, reading a sample of the Company’s contracts with the CROs to understand key financial and contractual terms and testing the accuracy and completeness of the underlying data used in the accrual computations. We also evaluated management’s estimates of the vendor’s progress for a sample of clinical trials by inquiring of the Company’s operations personnel overseeing the clinical trials and obtaining information directly from third party vendors regarding their estimate of costs that have been incurred through December 31, 2024. We analyzed the data underlying the accrual balance to evaluate the impact of reasonable changes in the data on the recorded amount of the clinical trial accrual. To evaluate the completeness of the accruals, we also examined subsequent invoices from the service providers and cash disbursements to the service providers, to the extent such invoices were received, or payments were made prior to the date that the consolidated financial statements were issued. |
/s/ Ernst & Young LLP
We have served as the Company‘s auditor since 2020.
Iselin, New Jersey
March 18, 2025
131
Olema Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Consolidated Balance Sheets
(Amounts in thousands, except for share amounts)
|
|
December 31, |
|
|
December 31, |
|
||
|
|
2024 |
|
|
2023 |
|
||
Assets |
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
Current assets: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
Cash and cash equivalents |
|
$ |
139,480 |
|
|
$ |
68,539 |
|
Marketable securities |
|
|
294,606 |
|
|
|
193,268 |
|
Prepaid expenses and other current assets |
|
|
4,387 |
|
|
|
4,706 |
|
Total current assets |
|
|
438,473 |
|
|
|
266,513 |
|
Operating lease right-of-use assets |
|
|
1,314 |
|
|
|
2,291 |
|
Other assets and long-term deposits |
|
|
11,192 |
|
|
|
8,141 |
|
Total assets |
|
$ |
450,979 |
|
|
$ |
276,945 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
Liabilities and stockholders’ equity |
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
Current liabilities: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
Accounts payable |
|
$ |
4,460 |
|
|
$ |
2,698 |
|
Operating lease liabilities, current |
|
|
1,172 |
|
|
|
988 |
|
Other current liabilities |
|
|
36,126 |
|
|
|
17,935 |
|
Total current liabilities |
|
|
41,758 |
|
|
|
21,621 |
|
Operating lease liabilities, net of current portion |
|
|
257 |
|
|
|
1,429 |
|
Total liabilities |
|
|
42,015 |
|
|
|
23,050 |
|
Commitments and contingencies (Note 12) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
Stockholders’ equity: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
Preferred stock, $0.0001 par value; 10,000,000 shares authorized as of December 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023; no shares issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023. |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
Common stock, $0.0001 par value; 490,000,000 shares authorized as of December 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023; 74,312,608 and 55,097,118 shares issued as of December 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023, respectively; 74,312,608 and 54,992,784 shares outstanding as of December 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023, respectively. |
|
|
6 |
|
|
|
4 |
|
Additional paid-in capital |
|
|
843,921 |
|
|
|
559,176 |
|
Accumulated other comprehensive income |
|
|
143 |
|
|
|
347 |
|
Accumulated deficit |
|
|
(435,106 |
) |
|
|
(305,632 |
) |
Total stockholders’ equity |
|
|
408,964 |
|
|
|
253,895 |
|
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity |
|
$ |
450,979 |
|
|
$ |
276,945 |
|
See accompanying notes to the consolidated financial statements.
132
Olema Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Loss
(Amounts in thousands, except for share and per share amounts)
|
|
Years Ended December 31, |
|
|||||||
|
|
2024 |
|
|
2023 |
|
||||
Operating expenses: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
Research and development |
|
$ |
|
124,517 |
|
|
$ |
|
86,140 |
|
General and administrative |
|
|
|
17,741 |
|
|
|
|
18,821 |
|
Total operating expenses |
|
|
|
142,258 |
|
|
|
|
104,961 |
|
Loss from operations |
|
|
|
(142,258 |
) |
|
|
|
(104,961 |
) |
Other income (expense): |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
Interest income |
|
|
|
12,682 |
|
|
|
|
8,325 |
|
Other income (expense): |
|
|
|
102 |
|
|
|
|
(19 |
) |
Total other income |
|
|
|
12,784 |
|
|
|
|
8,306 |
|
Net loss |
|
$ |
|
(129,474 |
) |
|
$ |
|
(96,655 |
) |
Net loss per share, basic and diluted |
|
$ |
|
(2.20 |
) |
|
$ |
|
(2.14 |
) |
Weighted average shares used to compute net loss per share, basic and diluted |
|
|
|
58,743,522 |
|
|
|
|
45,247,098 |
|
|
|
Years Ended December 31, |
|
|||||||
|
|
2024 |
|
|
2023 |
|
||||
Net loss |
|
$ |
|
(129,474 |
) |
|
$ |
|
(96,655 |
) |
Other comprehensive loss: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
Net unrealized (loss) gain on marketable securities |
|
|
|
(204 |
) |
|
|
|
2,160 |
|
Total comprehensive loss |
|
$ |
|
(129,678 |
) |
|
$ |
|
(94,495 |
) |
See accompanying notes to the consolidated financial statements.
133
Olema Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Consolidated Statements of Stockholders’ Equity
(Amounts in thousands, except for share amounts)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Accumulated |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Additional |
|
|
|
Other |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total |
|
|||||||||||||||
|
|
Common Stock |
|
|
|
Paid-in |
|
|
|
Comprehensive |
|
|
|
Accumulated |
|
|
|
Stockholders' |
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
Shares |
|
|
|
Amount |
|
|
|
Capital |
|
|
|
(Loss) Gain |
|
|
|
Deficit |
|
|
|
Equity |
|
||||||||||||||||||
Balances at December 31, 2022 |
|
|
40,287,097 |
|
|
|
$ |
|
3 |
|
|
|
$ |
|
408,333 |
|
|
|
$ |
|
(1,813 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
(208,977 |
) |
|
|
$ |
|
197,546 |
|
||||||
Issuance of shares under equity private placement, net of issuance costs of $264 |
|
|
13,211,381 |
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
129,735 |
|
|
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
|
129,736 |
|
||||||
Stock-based compensation expense |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
|
16,804 |
|
|
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
|
16,804 |
|
||||||
Exercise of stock options |
|
|
733,867 |
|
|
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
|
2,722 |
|
|
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
|
2,722 |
|
||||||
Issuance of shares under employee stock purchase plan |
|
|
333,503 |
|
|
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
|
1,050 |
|
|
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
|
1,050 |
|
||||||
Employee stock purchase plan expense |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
|
452 |
|
|
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
|
452 |
|
||||||
Vesting of early exercised stock options |
|
|
18,640 |
|
|
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
|
80 |
|
|
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
|
80 |
|
||||||
Vesting of performance-based restricted stock unit awards |
|
|
217,000 |
|
|
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
|
— |
|
||||||
Vesting of restricted stock awards |
|
|
191,296 |
|
|
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
|
— |
|
||||||
Net unrealized gain on marketable securities |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
|
2,160 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
|
2,160 |
|
||||||
Net loss |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
|
|
(96,655 |
) |
|
|
|
|
(96,655 |
) |
||||||
Balances at December 31, 2023 |
|
|
54,992,784 |
|
|
— |
|
$ |
|
4 |
|
|
— |
|
$ |
|
559,176 |
|
|
— |
|
$ |
|
347 |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
(305,632 |
) |
|
— |
|
$ |
|
253,895 |
|
Issuance of shares and pre-funded warrants under equity private placement, net of issuance costs of $12,998 |
|
|
19,928,875 |
|
|
|
|
|
2 |
|
|
|
|
|
236,999 |
|
|
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
|
237,001 |
|
||||||
Issuance of shares under at-the-market offering, net of issuance costs of $166 |
|
|
1,772,278 |
|
|
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
|
22,787 |
|
|
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
|
22,787 |
|
||||||
Exchange of common stock shares for pre-funded warrants |
|
|
(3,420,000 |
) |
|
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
|
— |
|
||||||
Stock-based compensation expense |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
|
22,009 |
|
|
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
|
22,009 |
|
||||||
Exercise of stock options |
|
|
430,159 |
|
|
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
|
1,518 |
|
|
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
|
1,518 |
|
||||||
Issuance of shares under employee stock purchase plan |
|
|
112,853 |
|
|
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
|
859 |
|
|
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
|
859 |
|
||||||
Employee stock purchase plan expense |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
|
573 |
|
|
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
|
573 |
|
||||||
Vesting of performance-based restricted stock unit awards |
|
|
403,000 |
|
|
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
|
— |
|
||||||
Vesting of restricted stock awards |
|
|
92,659 |
|
|
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
|
— |
|
||||||
Net unrealized loss on marketable securities |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
|
(204 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
|
(204 |
) |
||||||
Net loss |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
|
|
(129,474 |
) |
|
|
|
|
(129,474 |
) |
||||||
Balances at December 31, 2024 |
|
|
74,312,608 |
|
|
|
$ |
|
6 |
|
|
|
$ |
|
843,921 |
|
|
|
$ |
|
143 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
(435,106 |
) |
|
|
$ |
|
408,964 |
|
||||||
See accompanying notes to the consolidated financial statements.
134
Olema Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
(Amounts in thousands)
|
|
Years Ended December 31, |
|
|||||||
|
|
2024 |
|
|
2023 |
|
||||
Cash flows from operating activities: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
Net loss |
|
$ |
|
(129,474 |
) |
|
$ |
|
(96,655 |
) |
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating activities: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
Depreciation and amortization expense |
|
|
|
393 |
|
|
|
|
377 |
|
Loss on disposal of equipment |
|
|
|
9 |
|
|
|
|
111 |
|
Non-cash lease expense |
|
|
|
1,150 |
|
|
|
|
1,297 |
|
Non-cash interest income on marketable securities |
|
|
|
(8,175 |
) |
|
|
|
(5,524 |
) |
Stock-based compensation expense, including employee stock purchase plan expense |
|
|
|
22,582 |
|
|
|
|
17,256 |
|
Changes in operating assets and liabilities: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
Prepaid expenses and other current assets |
|
|
|
(429 |
) |
|
|
|
694 |
|
Other assets and long-term deposits |
|
|
|
(2,957 |
) |
|
|
|
(5,324 |
) |
Accounts payable |
|
|
|
2,510 |
|
|
|
|
2,324 |
|
Other current liabilities |
|
|
|
11,202 |
|
|
|
|
2,948 |
|
Operating lease liabilities |
|
|
|
(1,162 |
) |
|
|
|
(1,231 |
) |
Net cash used in operating activities |
|
|
|
(104,351 |
) |
|
|
|
(83,727 |
) |
Cash flows from investing activities: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
Maturities of marketable securities |
|
|
|
301,592 |
|
|
|
|
250,760 |
|
Purchases of marketable securities |
|
|
|
(394,959 |
) |
|
|
|
(255,625 |
) |
Purchase of equipment |
|
|
|
(159 |
) |
|
|
|
— |
|
Disposal of fixed assets |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
14 |
|
Net cash used in investing activities |
|
|
|
(93,526 |
) |
|
|
|
(4,851 |
) |
Cash flows from financing activities: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
Proceeds from equity private placement, net of issuance costs of $6,498 |
|
|
|
243,501 |
|
|
|
|
129,736 |
|
Proceeds from at-the-market offering, net of issuance costs of $166 |
|
|
|
22,787 |
|
|
|
|
— |
|
Proceeds from exercise of stock options |
|
|
|
1,671 |
|
|
|
|
2,629 |
|
Proceeds from issuance of common stock under the ESPP plan |
|
|
|
859 |
|
|
|
|
1,050 |
|
Net cash provided by financing activities |
|
|
|
268,818 |
|
|
|
|
133,415 |
|
Net increase in cash and cash equivalents |
|
|
|
70,941 |
|
|
|
|
44,837 |
|
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period |
|
|
|
68,539 |
|
|
|
|
23,702 |
|
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period |
|
$ |
|
139,480 |
|
|
$ |
|
68,539 |
|
Supplemental disclosure of non-cash investing and financing activities: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
Issuance costs for equity private placement not paid in cash by the end of period |
|
$ |
|
6,500 |
|
|
$ |
|
— |
|
Exchange common stock shares for pre-funded warrants |
|
$ |
|
31,054 |
|
|
$ |
|
— |
|
Research and development project deposit applied against final study invoices |
|
$ |
|
748 |
|
|
$ |
|
— |
|
System implementation cost included in other current liabilities |
|
$ |
|
(337 |
) |
|
$ |
|
— |
|
See accompanying notes to the consolidated financial statements.
135
Olema Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
1. Nature of the Business and Basis of Presentation
Olema Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (“Olema” or the “Company”) is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of next-generation targeted therapies for women’s cancers. The Company is advancing a pipeline of novel therapies by leveraging its deep understanding of endocrine-driven cancers, nuclear receptors, and mechanisms of acquired resistance. The Company's wholly-owned, lead product candidate, palazestrant (OP-1250), is a novel, orally-available small molecule with dual activity as both a complete estrogen receptor ("ER") antagonist ("CERAN") and selective ER degrader ("SERD"). In addition to its lead product candidate, Olema is developing a potent KAT6 inhibitor (OP-3136).
The Company is located in San Francisco, California and was incorporated in Delaware on August 7, 2006, under the legal name of CombiThera, Inc. and on March 25, 2009, was renamed Olema Pharmaceuticals, Inc. The Company’s principal operations are based in San Francisco, California, and it has operations in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Olema Oncology Australia Pty Ltd was incorporated on January 6, 2021, and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company (collectively with Olema Pharmaceuticals, Inc., referred to as “Olema” or the “Company” herein). It operates in one business segment and therefore has only one reportable segment. The Company is subject to risks and uncertainties common to late-stage companies in the biopharmaceutical industry, including, but not limited to, successful discovery and development of its product candidates, development by competitors of new technological innovations, dependence on key personnel, the ability to attract and retain qualified employees, protection of proprietary technology, compliance with governmental regulations, the impact of geopolitical and macroeconomic events discussed in further detail below, the ability to secure additional capital to fund operations and commercial success of its product candidates. Palazestrant, OP-3136 and any future product candidates the Company may develop will require extensive non-clinical and clinical testing and regulatory approval prior to commercialization. These efforts require significant amounts of additional capital, adequate personnel, and infrastructure and extensive compliance-reporting capabilities. Even if the Company’s product development efforts are successful, it is uncertain when, if ever, the Company will realize significant revenue from product sales.
Liquidity
The Company had $434.1 million of cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities at December 31, 2024, in addition to an available balance of $25.0 million under the Loan and Security Agreement dated as of September 5, 2023 (the “Original Loan Agreement”), by and between the Company, as borrower, and Silicon Valley Bank, a division of First-Citizens Bank & Trust Company (the “Bank”), as amended by the First Amendment to Loan and Security Agreement, dated June 28, 2024, by and between the Company and the Bank (the "Amendment," and the Original Loan Agreement as amended by the Amendment, the "Loan Agreement"). See Footnote 12. Commitments and Contingencies for details. Management believes that the Company’s cash, cash equivalents, marketable securities, and the amounts available under the Loan Agreement will be sufficient to fund the Company’s current operating plan for at least the next 12 months from the filing date of these consolidated financial statements.
Private Placement
On November 29, 2024, the Company entered into a securities purchase agreement for a private placement of (i) 19,928,875 shares of the Company’s common stock at a price of $9.08 per share and (ii) pre-funded warrants to purchase up to an aggregate of 7,604,163 shares of the Company's common stock at a price of $9.0799 per pre-funded warrant, which represents the per share purchase price of the Company's common stock sold in the private placement less the $0.0001 per share exercise price for each pre-funded warrant to selected institutional and accredited investors (the “2024 Private Placement”). The aggregate gross proceeds for the 2024 Private Placement were approximately $250.0 million. After deducting offering expenses related to the
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2024 Private Placement of approximately $6.5 million (the remaining $6.5 million was included in Other current liabilities in the consolidated balance sheets), the net proceeds to the Company from the 2024 Private Placement were approximately $243.5 million.
On September 5, 2023, the Company entered into a stock purchase agreement for a private placement of 13,211,381 shares of our common stock, at a price of $9.84 per share, to selected institutional and accredited investors (the "2023 Private Placement"), resulting in gross proceeds of approximately $130.0 million. After deducting offering expenses related to the 2023 Private Placement of approximately $0.3 million, the net proceeds to the Company from the 2023 Private Placement were approximately $129.7 million.
At-The-Market Offering
On January 5, 2024, the Company entered into a sales agreement (the “2024 Sales Agreement”) with Cowen and Company, LLC ("Cowen and Company”) as sales agent, pursuant to which the Company may offer and sell, from time to time, shares of the Company's common stock, having an aggregate offering price of up to $150.0 million (the “2024 ATM Shares”). The sales of the 2024 ATM Shares will be made by any method permitted that is deemed to be an "at-the-market" equity offering as defined in Rule 415(a)(4) promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended ("Securities Act"), including sales made directly on or through the Nasdaq Global Select Market. The Company agreed to pay Cowen and Company a commission of up to 3.0% of the aggregate gross proceeds from any 2024 ATM Shares sold by Cowen and Company. During the year ended December 31, 2024, the Company issued 1,772,278 shares of the Company's common stock under the 2024 Sales Agreement at a weighted-average price of $13.19 for net proceeds of $22.8 million after deducting related issuance costs. As of December 31, 2024, approximately $126.6 million remained available for issuance under the 2024 Sales Agreement.
On January 6, 2025, the Company entered into a sales agreement (the "2025 Sales Agreement") with TD Securities (USA) LLC, ("TD Cowen") as sales agent, pursuant to which the Company may offer and sell, from time to time, shares of the Company's common stock, having an aggregate offering price of up to $150.0 million (the “2025 ATM Shares”). The 2025 Sales Agreement replaces the prior 2024 Sales Agreement. The sales of the 2025 ATM Shares will be made by any method permitted that is deemed to be an "at-the-market" equity offering as defined in Rule 415(a)(4) promulgated under the Securities Act, including sales made directly on or through the Nasdaq Global Select Market. The Company has agreed to pay TD Cowen a commission of up to 3.0% of the aggregate gross proceeds from any 2025 ATM Shares sold by TD Cowen.
Impact of Geopolitical and Macroeconomic Events
Global economic and business activities continue to face widespread uncertainty related to the geopolitical and macroeconomic environment, generally, including economic uncertainty, market volatility, labor shortages, tariffs and trade tensions, the ongoing conflicts between Ukraine and Russia and in the Middle East, as well as any related political or economic responses and counter-responses or otherwise by various global actors, inflation rates and the responses by central banking authorities to control such inflation, monetary supply shifts and related financial instability. The extent of the impact of these factors on the Company’s operational and financial performance, including its ability to execute its business strategies and initiatives in the expected time frame, will depend on future developments, which are uncertain and cannot be predicted. Any continued or renewed disruption resulting from these factors could negatively impact the Company’s business. The Company continues to monitor the impact of these geopolitical and macroeconomic factors on its results of operations, financial condition and cash flows.
Basis of Presentation and Consolidation
The accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (“GAAP”) and applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) regarding financial reporting, and the instructions to Form 10-K and Article 10 of Regulation S-X. These consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Olema Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and its wholly owned subsidiary, Olema Oncology Australia Pty Ltd. All intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated upon consolidation.
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Use of Estimates
The accompanying consolidated financial statements are prepared in accordance with GAAP. The preparation of the consolidated financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities at the date of the consolidated financial statements and reported amounts of expenses during the reporting period. Significant areas that require management’s estimates include accruals of research and development expenses, including accrual of research contract costs, stock-based compensation assumptions, including the fair value of common stock. On an ongoing basis, the Company evaluates its estimates and judgments, which are based on historical and anticipated results and trends and on various other assumptions that management believes to be reasonable under the circumstances. Actual results could differ from those estimates.
Cash and Cash Equivalents
Cash and cash equivalents are defined as short-term, highly liquid investments with original maturities of 90 days or fewer at the date of purchase. Cash deposits are all in reputable financial institutions in the United States as of December 31, 2024 and 2023. Cash and cash equivalents consisted of cash on deposit with U.S. banks, including the Company’s bank account for its Australia subsidiary, denominated in U.S. dollars and Australian dollars and investments in interest bearing money market funds.
Marketable Securities
All marketable securities have been classified as “available-for-sale” and are carried at estimated fair value as determined based upon quoted market prices or pricing models for similar securities. Management determines the appropriate classification of its investments at the time of purchase and reevaluates such designation as of each balance sheet date. Unrealized gains and losses are excluded from net loss and are reported as a component of comprehensive loss. Realized gains and losses and declines in fair value judged to be other than temporary, if any, on available-for-sale securities are included in interest income. The cost of securities sold is based on the specific-identification method. Interest earned on marketable securities is included in interest income.
The Company periodically assesses its available-for-sale marketable securities for other-than-temporary impairment. For debt securities in an unrealized loss position, the Company first considers its intent to sell, or whether it is more likely than not that the Company will be required to sell the debt securities before recovery of their amortized cost basis. If either of these criteria are met, the amortized cost basis of such debt securities is written down to fair value through other expense.
For debt securities in an unrealized loss position that do not meet the aforementioned criteria, the Company assesses whether the decline in the fair value of such debt securities has resulted from credit losses or other factors. The Company considers the extent to which fair value is less than amortized cost, any changes to the rating of the security by a rating agency, and any adverse conditions specifically related to the securities, among other factors. If this assessment indicates that a credit loss may exist, the Company then compares the present value of cash flows expected to be collected from such securities to their amortized cost basis. If the present value of cash flows expected to be collected is less than the amortized cost basis, a credit loss exists and an allowance for credit losses is recorded through other expense, limited by the amount that the fair value is less than the amortized cost basis. Any additional impairment not recorded through an allowance for credit losses is recognized in other comprehensive loss. The Company has not recorded any impairments for its marketable securities.
Concentration of Credit Risk and Other Risks and Uncertainties
Financial instruments that potentially subject the Company to concentration of credit risk consist of cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities.
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The Company invests in a variety of financial instruments and, by its policy, limits these financial instruments to high credit quality securities issued by the U.S. government, U.S. government-sponsored agencies and highly rated banks and corporations, subject to certain concentration limits. The Company’s cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities are held by financial institutions in the United States that management believes are of high credit quality. Amounts on deposit with individual banking institutions may at times exceed the limits insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”); however, the Company has not experienced any losses on such deposits.
The Company’s future results of operations involve a number of other risks and uncertainties. Factors that could affect the Company’s future operating results and cause actual results to vary materially from expectations include, but are not limited to, uncertainty of results of clinical trials and reaching milestones, uncertainty of regulatory approval of the Company’s current and potential future product candidates, uncertainty of market acceptance of the Company’s product candidates, competition from substitute products and larger companies, securing and protecting proprietary technology, strategic relationships, dependence on key individuals or sole-source suppliers, and geopolitical and macroeconomic factors.
The Company’s product candidates require approvals from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) and comparable foreign regulatory agencies prior to commercial sales in their respective jurisdictions. There can be no assurance that any product candidates will receive the necessary approvals. If the Company were denied approval, approval was delayed or the Company was unable to maintain approval for any product candidate, it could have a materially adverse impact on the Company.
Leases
Under Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") 2026-12, Leases, Topic 842, ("Topic 842"), lessees are required to recognize for all leases (with the exception of short-term leases) at the commencement date: (1) a lease liability, which is a lessee’s obligation to make lease payments arising from a lease, measured on a discounted basis; and (2) a right-of-use (“ROU”) asset, which is an asset that represents the lessee’s right to use, or control the use of, a specified asset for the lease term. Leases will be classified as finance or operating, with classification affecting the pattern and classification of expense recognition in the consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss.
At the inception of an arrangement, the Company determines if an arrangement is, or contains, a lease based on the facts and circumstances present in that arrangement. Lease classification, recognition, and measurement are then determined at the lease commencement date. For arrangements that contain a lease, the Company (i) identifies lease and non-lease components, (ii) determines the consideration in the contract, (iii) determines whether the lease is an operating or finance lease; and (iv) recognizes lease ROU assets and liabilities. Lease liabilities and their corresponding ROU assets are recorded based on the present value of future lease payments over the expected lease term. The interest rate implicit in lease contracts is typically not readily determinable and as such, the Company uses the incremental borrowing rate based on the information available at the lease commencement date, which represents an internally developed rate that would be incurred to borrow, on a collateralized basis, over a similar term, an amount equal to the lease payments in a similar economic environment.
Most leases include options to renew and, or terminate the lease, which can impact the lease term. The exercise of these options is at the Company’s discretion. The Company’s lease terms may include options to extend or terminate the lease when it is reasonably certain that the Company will exercise such options. For any lease modification, the Company reassesses the lease classification, remeasures the related lease liability using an updated discount rate that reflects the modified lease term, and adjusts the related ROU asset under the lease modification guidance under Topic 842.
The Company has operating leases for its research and development and office facilities. Fixed lease payments on operating leases are recognized over the expected term of the lease on a straight-line basis. Variable lease expenses that are not considered fixed are recognized as incurred. Fixed and variable lease expense on operating leases is recognized within operating expenses within our consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss.
139
The Company elected to not apply the recognition requirements of Topic 842 to short-term leases with terms of 12 months or less. Additional information and disclosures required by Topic 842 are contained in Note 11 “Lease” in this Annual Report.
Research and Development Costs
Research and development costs are expensed as incurred. Research and development expenses consist of costs incurred to discover, research and develop product candidates. These costs are recorded within research and development expenses in the consolidated statements of operations and include personnel expenses, stock-based compensation expenses, allocated general and administrative expenses, and external costs including fees paid to consultants and contract research organizations (“CROs”) and contract manufacturing organizations (“CMOs”), in connection with non-clinical studies and clinical trials, and other related clinical trial fees, such as for investigator fees, patient screening, laboratory work, clinical trial database management, clinical trial material management and statistical compilation and analysis. Non-refundable prepayments for goods or services that will be used or rendered for future research and development activities are recorded as prepaid expenses and other current assets. Such amounts are recognized as an expense as the goods are delivered or the related services are performed.
Costs incurred in obtaining technology licenses that do not meet the definition of a business are charged immediately to research and development expense if the technology licensed has not reached technological feasibility and has no alternative future uses.
Reimbursements of certain costs associated with research activities performed under the agreement with Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Inc. (“Novartis”) are recorded as a reduction of research and development expenses and as a receivable due from Novartis, which is recorded under prepaid expenses and other current assets in the accompanying consolidated financial statements, as described in Note 12, Commitments and Contingencies – Clinical Collaboration and Supply Agreement.
Research Contract Costs and Accruals
The Company has from time to time entered into various research and development and other agreements with commercial firms, researchers, universities and others for provisions of goods and services. These agreements are generally cancelable, and the related costs are recorded as research and development expenses as incurred.
The Company records accruals for estimated ongoing research and development costs. When evaluating the adequacy of the accrued liabilities, the Company analyzes progress of the projects, studies or clinical trials, including the phase or completion of events, invoices received and contracted costs. Judgments and estimates are made in determining the accrued balances at the end of any reporting period. Actual results could differ materially from the Company’s estimates. The Company’s historical accrual estimates have not been materially different from the actual costs.
Internal-Use Software
The Company capitalizes certain costs incurred for the development and implementation of computer software for internal-use. These costs generally relate to the implementation of the third-party developed software for the Company's regulatory and quality purposes. The Company capitalizes these costs when it is determined that it is probable that the project will be completed and the software will be used to perform the function intended, and the preliminary project stage is completed. Capitalized internal-use software development and implementation costs are included in Other assets and long-term deposits within the consolidated balance sheets. Capitalized implementation costs are amortized on a straight-line basis over the estimated useful lives of five years. Costs related to the preliminary project stage, post-implementation, training and maintenance are expensed as incurred.
140
Income Taxes
Income taxes are computed using the asset and liability approach that requires the recognition of deferred tax assets and liabilities for the expected future tax consequences of events that have been recognized in the Company’s consolidated financial statements. In estimating future tax consequences, the Company considers all expected future events other than enactment of changes in tax laws or rates. A valuation allowance is recorded, if necessary, to reduce net deferred tax assets to their realizable values if management does not believe it is more likely than not that the net deferred tax assets will be realized. As of December 31, 2024 and 2023, the Company has recorded full valuation allowance against its net deferred tax assets.
The Company had no unrecognized tax benefits for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. The Company may be subject to U.S. Federal, state, and local tax examinations by tax authorities for years before 2024, which may include adjustments to carry-forward attributes (see Note 9, “Income Taxes”).
The Company’s policy is to recognize interest and penalties related to uncertain tax positions in the provision for income taxes. As of December 31, 2024 and 2023, the Company had no accrued interest or penalties related to uncertain tax positions.
Comprehensive Loss
Comprehensive loss includes net loss and other comprehensive (loss) gain for each period presented. Other comprehensive (loss) gain represents net unrealized (loss) gain on marketable securities.
Stock-Based Compensation
Stock-based compensation cost, including grants of stock options and restricted stock awards issued under the Company’s equity incentive plans and ESPP, is measured at the grant date based on the estimated fair value of the award and is recognized as an expense on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period, which is generally the vesting period. Stock-based compensation cost for performance-based restricted stock unit awards issued under the Company’s equity incentive plan is measured at the grant date based on the estimated fair value of the award, which is based on the closing stock price on the grant date, and is recognized as an expense when the Company determines that it is probable that the performance goals will be achieved, which the Company assess on a quarterly basis. The Company recognizes stock compensation in accordance with ASC 718, Compensation — Stock Compensation (“ASC 718”). The Company’s determination of the fair value of stock options with time-based vesting on the date of grant utilizes the Black-Scholes option-pricing model. The Company estimates volatility using stock prices of peer companies and its historical data, risk-free rates using the implied yield currently available on U.S. Treasury zero-coupon issues with a remaining term equal to the expected term, and dividend yield using the Company’s expectations and historical data. The Company uses the simplified method to calculate the expected term of employee stock option grants. Under the simplified method, the expected term is estimated to be the mid-point between the vesting date and the contractual term of the option. For awards with graded vesting, in which specified tranches of the options vest on different dates, the Company uses a single weighted average expected life to value the entire award, which is equal to the average of the weighted average vesting period of the award and the contractual term of the award. Equity instruments issued to non-employees are recorded at their fair value on the grant date and without subsequent remeasurement. The amount of stock-based compensation expense recognized during a period is based on the value of the portion of the awards that are ultimately expected to vest, including awards with graded vesting. As part of the requirements of ASC 718, the Company has elected to account for forfeitures of stock option grants as they occur.
Foreign Currency Transactions
The functional currency of Olema Oncology Australia Pty Ltd, the Company’s wholly-owned subsidiary, is the U.S. dollar. Accordingly, all monetary assets and liabilities of the subsidiary are remeasured into U.S. dollars at the current period-end exchange rates and non-monetary assets are remeasured using historical exchange rates. Income and expense elements are remeasured to U.S. dollars using the average exchange rates in effect during the period.
141
Remeasurement gains and losses are recorded as other income (expense) on the consolidated statements of operations.
The Company is subject to foreign currency risk with respect to its clinical and manufacturing contracts denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar, predominantly the Australian dollar and the Euro. Payments on contracts denominated in foreign currencies are made at the spot rate on the day of payment. Changes in the exchange rate between billing dates and payment dates are recorded within other income (expense) on the consolidated statements of operations.
Pre-funded Warrants
The Company issued pre-funded warrants in connection with the Purchase Agreement. The Company accounts for the pre-funded warrants as a freestanding equity-linked financial instrument that met the criteria for equity classification pursuant to Accounting Standards Codification 480, Distinguishing Liabilities from Equity ("ASC 480"), and ASC 815, Derivatives and Hedging ("ASC 815"). Accordingly, the Company recorded the pre-funded warrants as a component of stockholders' equity within additional paid-in capital. The Company valued the pre-funded warrants at issuance, concluding that their sales price approximated their fair value. See Note 7 for further disclosure.
Net Loss Per Common Share
Basic net loss per common share is computed by dividing the net loss per common share by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding for the period without consideration of common stock equivalents. Diluted net loss per common share is computed by adjusting net loss to reallocate undistributed earnings based on the potential impact of dilutive securities, and by dividing the diluted net loss by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding for the period, including potential dilutive common shares. For purpose of this calculation, outstanding stock options, including unvested early exercised options, unvested restricted stock awards, unvested performance-based restricted stock unit awards and contingently issuable common stock related to the 2020 Employee Stock Purchase Plan (the “ESPP”) are considered potential dilutive common shares. Basic shares outstanding includes the weighted average effect of the Company's outstanding pre-funded warrants, the exercise of which requires little or no consideration for the delivery of shares of common stock. Since the Company was in a loss position for all periods presented, basic net loss per share is the same as diluted net loss per share for all periods as the inclusion of all potential common shares outstanding would have been anti-dilutive.
Segment Reporting
The Company's chief operating decision maker (“CODM”), the Chief Executive Officer, manages its business activities as a single operating and reportable segment at the consolidated level. Accordingly, the Company's CODM uses consolidated net loss to measure segment loss, allocate resources and assess performance. Further, the CODM reviews and utilizes functional expenses (research and development, and general and administrative) at the consolidated level to manage the Company’s operations. Other segment items included in consolidated net loss is interest income, which is reflected in the consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss.
142
Recent Accounting Pronouncements Adopted
In August 2020, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") No. 2020-06, Debt—Debt with Conversion and Other Options (Subtopic 470-20) and Derivatives and Hedging—Contracts in Entity’s Own Equity (Subtopic 815-40), which simplifies the accounting for convertible instruments and equity-linked financial instruments in addition to amending the earnings per share ("EPS") guidance in ASC 260 to improve the consistency of the diluted EPS calculation. The standard addresses issues identified as a result of the complexity associated with applying U.S. GAAP for certain financial instruments with characteristics of liabilities and equity. The standard eliminates the current models that require separation of beneficial conversion and cash conversion features from convertible instruments and simplifies the derivative scope exception guidance pertaining to equity classification of contracts in an entity’s own equity. The standard is effective for public companies, excluding entities eligible to be smaller reporting companies, for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2021, including interim periods within those fiscal years. For all other entities, the standard is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2023, including interim periods within those fiscal years. The Company adopted ASU 2020-06 as of January 1, 2024. The adoption did not make an impact on its consolidated financial statements.
In November 2023, the FASB issued ASU 2023-07, Segment Reporting (Topic 280): Improvements to Reportable Segment Disclosures (“ASU 2023-07”), which requires all public entities, including public entities with a single reportable segment, to provide in interim and annual periods one or more measures of segment profit or loss used by the chief operating decision maker to allocate resources and assess performance. Additionally, the standard requires disclosures of significant segment expenses and other segment items as well as incremental qualitative disclosures. The Company adopted ASU 2023-07 effective January 1, 2024, on a retrospective basis. The adoption of 2023-07 did not change the way that the Company identifies its reportable segments and, as a result, did not have a material impact on the Company’s segment-related disclosures. Refer to the Segment Reporting section in Note 2 "Summary of Significant Accounting Policies".
Recent Accounting Pronouncements Not Yet Adopted
In December 2023, the FASB issued a new income tax-related accounting guidance in ASU 2023-09, Improvements to Income Tax Disclosures. The standard requires disaggregated information about a reporting entity’s effective tax rate reconciliation as well as information on income taxes paid. For public business entities, the new requirements will be effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2024. The guidance will be applied on a prospective basis with the option to apply the standard retrospectively. Early adoption is permitted. The Company did not early adopt this guidance as of December 31, 2024. The Company does not expect the adoption of ASU 2023-09 to have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements.
The Company assesses the fair value of financial instruments based on the provisions of ASC 820, Fair Value Measurements. ASC 820 defines fair value as the exchange price that would be received for an asset or paid to transfer a liability (an exit price) in the principal or most advantageous market for the asset or liability in an orderly transaction between market participants on the measurement date. ASC 820 also establishes a fair value hierarchy which requires an entity to maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs when measuring fair value. The standard describes three levels of inputs that may be used to measure fair value:
143
|
|
|
December 31, 2024 |
|
||||||||||||||||
(in thousands) |
|
Level 1 |
|
|
Level 2 |
|
|
Level 3 |
|
|
Total |
|
||||||||
Financial Assets |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||
Cash |
|
$ |
|
6,489 |
|
|
$ |
|
— |
|
|
$ |
|
— |
|
|
$ |
|
6,489 |
|
Money market funds |
|
|
|
118,955 |
|
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
118,955 |
|
Commercial paper |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
109,432 |
|
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
109,432 |
|
Corporate bonds |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
43,409 |
|
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
43,409 |
|
|
U.S. government treasury bills |
|
|
|
144,741 |
|
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
144,741 |
|
Government-sponsored enterprise securities |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
11,714 |
|
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
11,714 |
|
Total |
|
$ |
|
270,185 |
|
|
$ |
|
164,555 |
|
|
$ |
|
— |
|
|
$ |
|
434,740 |
|
|
|
December 31, 2024 |
|
|||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
Gross |
|
|
Gross |
|
|
|
|
|
||||||
|
|
Amortized |
|
|
Unrealized |
|
|
Unrealized |
|
|
Estimated |
|
||||||||
(in thousands) |
|
Cost |
|
|
Gains |
|
|
Losses |
|
|
Fair Value |
|
||||||||
Financial Assets |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||
Cash and cash equivalents |
|
$ |
|
142,706 |
|
|
$ |
|
4 |
|
|
$ |
|
— |
|
|
$ |
|
142,710 |
|
Short-term marketable securities (<12 months to maturity) |
|
|
|
219,062 |
|
|
|
|
185 |
|
|
|
|
(57 |
) |
|
|
|
219,190 |
|
Long-term marketable securities (>12 months to maturity) |
|
|
|
72,829 |
|
|
|
|
53 |
|
|
|
|
(42 |
) |
|
|
|
72,840 |
|
Total |
|
$ |
|
434,597 |
|
|
$ |
|
242 |
|
|
$ |
|
(99 |
) |
|
$ |
|
434,740 |
|
|
|
|
December 31, 2023 |
|
||||||||||||||||
(in thousands) |
|
Level 1 |
|
|
Level 2 |
|
|
Level 3 |
|
|
Total |
|
||||||||
Financial Assets |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||
Cash |
|
$ |
|
3,570 |
|
|
$ |
|
— |
|
|
$ |
|
— |
|
|
$ |
|
3,570 |
|
Money market funds |
|
|
|
59,280 |
|
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
59,280 |
|
Commercial paper |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
105,017 |
|
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
105,017 |
|
Corporate bonds |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
12,627 |
|
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
12,627 |
|
U.S. government treasury bills |
|
|
|
60,012 |
|
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
60,012 |
|
Government-sponsored enterprise securities |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
21,606 |
|
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
21,606 |
|
Total |
|
$ |
|
122,862 |
|
|
$ |
|
139,250 |
|
|
$ |
|
— |
|
|
$ |
|
262,112 |
|
|
|
December 31, 2023 |
|
|||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
Gross |
|
|
Gross |
|
|
|
|
|
||||||
|
|
Amortized |
|
|
Unrealized |
|
|
Unrealized |
|
|
Estimated |
|
||||||||
(in thousands) |
|
Cost |
|
|
Gains |
|
|
Losses |
|
|
Fair Value |
|
||||||||
Financial Assets |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||
Cash and cash equivalents |
|
$ |
|
68,844 |
|
|
$ |
|
— |
|
|
$ |
|
— |
|
|
$ |
|
68,844 |
|
Short-term marketable securities (<12 months to maturity) |
|
|
|
169,966 |
|
|
|
|
176 |
|
|
|
|
(8 |
) |
|
|
|
170,134 |
|
Long-term marketable securities (>12 months to maturity) |
|
|
|
22,955 |
|
|
|
|
179 |
|
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
23,134 |
|
Total |
|
$ |
|
261,765 |
|
|
$ |
|
355 |
|
|
$ |
|
(8 |
) |
|
$ |
|
262,112 |
|
The Company considers its marketable securities with maturities beyond one year as current assets, based on their highly liquid nature and because such marketable securities represent the investment of cash that is available for current operations. The Company considers its investment portfolio of marketable securities to be available-for-sale.
144
The Company periodically reviews its available-for-sale marketable securities for other-than-temporary impairment. The Company considers factors such as the duration, severity and the reason for the decline in value, the potential recovery period and its intent to sell. For debt securities, the Company also considers whether (i) it is more likely than not that the Company will be required to sell the debt securities before recovery of their amortized cost basis, and (ii) the amortized cost basis cannot be recovered as a result of credit losses.
There were no marketable securities that have been in a consecutive loss position for more than 12 months as of December 31, 2024. During the year ended December 31, 2024, the Company did not recognize any other-than-temporary impairment loss. As of December 31, 2024, there was no allowance for losses on available-for-sale debt securities attributable to credit risk.
As of December 31, 2024, all of the Company’s cash and cash equivalents consisted of cash on deposit with U.S. banks denominated in U. S. dollars and Australian dollars.
4. Prepaid Expenses and Other Current Assets
Prepaid expenses and other current assets consisted of the following (in thousands):
|
|
December 31, |
|
|
December 31, |
|
||||
|
|
2024 |
|
|
2023 |
|
||||
Interest receivable |
|
$ |
|
2,120 |
|
|
$ |
|
673 |
|
Prepaid insurance |
|
|
|
1,033 |
|
|
|
|
1,239 |
|
Prepaid subscriptions and licenses |
|
|
|
728 |
|
|
|
|
255 |
|
Prepaid clinical development costs |
|
|
|
140 |
|
|
|
|
858 |
|
Other |
|
|
|
366 |
|
|
|
|
190 |
|
Reimbursable research and development costs from a collaboration partner |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
1,491 |
|
Total |
|
$ |
|
4,387 |
|
|
$ |
|
4,706 |
|
5. Other Assets and Long-Term Deposits
Other assets and long-term deposits consisted of the following (in thousands):
|
|
December 31, |
|
|
December 31, |
|
||||
|
|
2024 |
|
|
2023 |
|
||||
Clinical development project deposits |
|
$ |
|
9,263 |
|
|
$ |
|
6,688 |
|
Property and equipment, net |
|
|
|
746 |
|
|
|
|
968 |
|
System implementation costs |
|
|
|
683 |
|
|
|
|
— |
|
Security deposits |
|
|
|
485 |
|
|
|
|
485 |
|
Other |
|
|
|
15 |
|
|
|
|
— |
|
Total |
|
$ |
|
11,192 |
|
|
$ |
|
8,141 |
|
6. Other Current Liabilities
Other current liabilities consisted of the following (in thousands):
|
|
December 31, |
|
|
December 31, |
|
||||
|
|
2024 |
|
|
2023 |
|
||||
Accrued research and development related costs |
|
$ |
|
22,768 |
|
|
$ |
|
11,322 |
|
Accrued professional fees |
|
|
|
7,545 |
|
|
|
|
903 |
|
Accrued employee bonuses |
|
|
|
5,661 |
|
|
|
|
5,465 |
|
Accrued payroll related costs |
|
|
|
111 |
|
|
|
|
172 |
|
Accrued taxes |
|
|
|
41 |
|
|
|
|
73 |
|
Total |
|
$ |
|
36,126 |
|
|
$ |
|
17,935 |
|
145
7. Common Stock
As of each of the balance sheet dates below, the Company had reserved shares of common stock for issuance in connection with the following:
|
|
December 31, |
|
|
December 31, |
|
||||
|
|
2024 |
|
|
2023 |
|
||||
Options outstanding under the 2014 Stock Plan |
|
|
|
1,875,140 |
|
|
|
|
1,875,140 |
|
Options outstanding under the 2020 Equity Incentive Plan |
|
|
|
7,786,735 |
|
|
|
|
5,669,961 |
|
Options outstanding under the 2022 Inducement Plan |
|
|
|
1,691,182 |
|
|
|
|
1,125,641 |
|
Shares available for future grant under the 2020 Equity Incentive Plan and the 2022 Inducement Plan |
|
|
|
2,056,300 |
|
|
|
|
2,497,813 |
|
Shares available for the 2020 Employee Stock Purchase Plan |
|
|
|
1,122,615 |
|
|
|
|
684,497 |
|
Unvested performance-based restricted stock unit awards outstanding under the 2020 Equity Incentive Plan |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
403,000 |
|
Unvested restricted stock awards outstanding under the 2014 Stock Plan |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
80,703 |
|
Shares available for issuance related to pre-funded warrants |
|
|
|
11,024,163 |
|
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
|
25,556,135 |
|
|
|
|
12,336,755 |
|
Pre-Funded Warrants
In December 2024, the Company issued pre-funded warrants to purchase up to 7,604,163 shares of the Company's common stock in the 2024 Private Placement at $9.07998 per share of the common stock, less the $0.0001 per share exercise price of each warrant. Also, in December 2024, the Company issued pre-funded warrants to purchase up to 3,420,000 shares of the Company's common stock in exchange of 3,420,000 shares of the Company's common stock previously held by investors. The warrants were recorded as a component of stockholders’ equity within additional paid-in capital and have no expiration date.
8. Stock-Based Compensation
In 2014, the Company’s Board of Directors (the “Board”) and stockholders approved and adopted the Company’s 2014 Stock Plan (the “2014 Plan”). The 2014 Plan permitted the grant of options and restricted stock awards (including restricted stock purchase rights and restricted stock bonus awards). The 2014 Plan was terminated on the date the Company’s 2020 Equity Incentive Plan (the “2020 Plan”), which is described below, became effective, and since that date, no additional awards have been or will be made pursuant to the 2014 Plan. However, any outstanding awards granted under the 2014 Plan will remain outstanding, subject to the terms of the 2014 Plan award agreements, until such outstanding options are exercised or until any awards terminate or expire by their terms.
In 2020, the Board and the Company’s stockholders approved and adopted the 2020 Plan. The 2020 Plan permits the grant of options, restricted stock awards, stock appreciation rights, restricted stock unit awards, performance awards, and other awards. The maximum number of shares of common stock that initially issuable under the 2020 Plan was a number not to exceed 6,494,510 shares of the Company’s common stock, which is the sum of (i) 2,152,080 new shares, plus (ii) an additional number of shares not to exceed 4,342,430 shares, consisting of any shares of the Company’s common stock subject to outstanding stock options or other stock awards granted under the 2014 Plan that, on or after the date on which the 2020 Plan became effective, terminated or expired prior to exercise or settlement; were not issued because the award was settled in cash; were forfeited because of the failure to vest; or were reacquired or withheld (or not issued) to satisfy a tax withholding obligation or the purchase or exercise price.
146
In addition, the number of shares of the Company’s common stock reserved for issuance under the 2020 Plan automatically increases on January 1 of each year for a period of ten years, beginning on January 1, 2021 and continuing through January 1, 2030, in an amount equal to the lesser of (1) 5% of the total number of shares of the Company’s common stock outstanding on December 31 of the immediately preceding year, or (2) a lesser number of shares determined by the Board no later than December 31 of the immediately preceding year.
In 2022, the Board approved and adopted the Company’s 2022 Inducement Plan (the “2022 Inducement Plan”). Under the 2022 Inducement Plan, initially 2,000,000 shares of common stock were reserved for issuance. The 2022 Inducement Plan permits the grant of options, restricted stock awards, stock appreciation rights, restricted stock unit awards, performance awards, and other awards.
The exercise price for each option and stock appreciation right shall be established at the discretion of the Board, provided that the exercise price of a stock option will not be less than 100% of the fair market value of the Company’s common stock on the date of grant. Specific vesting for stock options and stock appreciation rights is service related and determined in each award agreement, where stock options and stock appreciation rights are fully vested at the grant date or follow a graded vesting schedule. Stock options and stock appreciation rights granted under the plans generally expire ten years after the date of grant.
Stock Option Valuation
The fair value of stock option grants is estimated using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model. The Company lacks company-specific historical and implied volatility information. Therefore, it estimated its expected stock volatility based on the historical volatility of a publicly traded set of peer companies in addition to its own historical volatility. For options with service-based vesting conditions, the expected term of the Company’s stock options has been determined utilizing the “simplified” method for awards that qualify as “plain-vanilla” options. The expected term of stock options granted to non-employees is equal to the contractual term of the option award. The risk-free interest rate is determined by reference to the U.S. Treasury yield curve in effect at the time of grant of the award for time periods approximately equal to the expected term of the award. Expected dividend yield is 0% since the Company has never paid cash dividends and does not expect to pay any cash dividends in the foreseeable future.
The assumptions that the Company used to determine the estimated grant-date fair value of stock options granted to employees and directors under the 2020 Plan and the 2022 Inducement Plan were as follows, presented as a weighted average:
|
|
December 31, |
|
|
December 31, |
|
||||
|
|
2024 |
|
|
2023 |
|
||||
Risk-free interest rate |
|
|
|
3.91 |
% |
|
|
|
3.64 |
% |
Expected term (in years) |
|
|
|
6.03 |
|
|
|
|
6.02 |
|
Expected volatility |
|
|
|
85.00 |
% |
|
|
|
86.35 |
% |
Expected dividend yield |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
— |
|
147
Stock Option Activity
The following table summarizes the stock option activity under the 2014 Plan, the 2020 Plan and the 2022 Inducement Plan:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Weighted |
|
|
|
|
|
||||
|
|
|
|
|
Weighted |
|
|
Average |
|
|
|
|
|
|||||
|
|
|
|
|
Average |
|
|
Remaining |
|
|
Aggregate |
|
||||||
|
|
Number of |
|
|
Exercise |
|
|
Contractual |
|
|
Intrinsic |
|
||||||
|
|
Shares |
|
|
Price |
|
|
Term |
|
|
Value |
|
||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(in years) |
|
|
(in thousands) |
|
||||||
Outstanding as of December 31, 2023 |
|
|
8,670,742 |
|
|
$ |
|
8.52 |
|
|
|
7.60 |
|
|
$ |
|
61,749 |
|
Granted |
|
|
3,478,850 |
|
|
|
|
14.21 |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
||
Exercised (1) |
|
|
(460,744 |
) |
|
|
|
4.09 |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
||
Forfeited |
|
|
(335,791 |
) |
|
|
|
14.17 |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
||
Outstanding as of December 31, 2024 |
|
|
11,353,057 |
|
|
$ |
|
10.28 |
|
|
|
6.37 |
|
|
$ |
|
7,519 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||
Options vested and exercisable as of December 31, 2024 |
|
|
6,376,793 |
|
|
$ |
|
9.41 |
|
|
|
5.05 |
|
|
$ |
|
5,958 |
|
Options expected to vest as of December 31, 2024 |
|
|
4,976,264 |
|
|
$ |
|
11.40 |
|
|
|
8.05 |
|
|
$ |
|
1,561 |
|
The weighted-average grant-date fair value per share of options granted during the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023 was $10.40 and $4.37, respectively. For the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, there were 2,213,715 and 2,329,483 shares vested, respectively. The weighted-average grant date fair value per share of options vested during the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023 was $6.58 and $6.97, respectively. The total fair value of options vested during the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023 was $14.6 million and $16.2 million, respectively. The aggregate intrinsic value of options exercised during the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023 was $3.3 million and $3.5 million, respectively.
As of December 31, 2024, the total unrecognized compensation expense related to unvested options was $34.5 million, which the Company expects to recognize over an estimated weighted average period of 2.61 years.
Restricted Stock Awards
The following table summarizes the restricted stock awards (the RSAs) activity under the 2014 Plan during the year ended December 31, 2024:
|
|
|
Number of Shares |
|
|
Grant Date Fair Value |
|
|||
Unvested restricted stock as of December 31, 2023 |
|
|
|
92,659 |
|
|
$ |
|
2.40 |
|
Granted |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
|
||
Vested |
|
|
|
(92,659 |
) |
|
|
|
2.40 |
|
Forfeited |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Unvested restricted stock as of December 31, 2024 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
$ |
|
— |
|
The total grant date fair value of the RSAs vested during the year ended December 31, 2024, was $0.2 million. As of December 31, 2024, the was no unrecognized compensation expense related to the RSAs. The Company recorded stock-based compensation expense of $0.2 million related to the vested shares of restricted stock awards for the year ended December 31, 2024.
Performance-Based Restricted Stock Unit Awards
148
In November 2022, the Company granted to certain employees 710,000 shares of performance-based restricted stock unit awards (the PSUs) under the 2020 Plan as consideration for services subject to performance conditions with a fair value based on the closing price of the underlying common stock on the date of grant. Pursuant to the terms of the PSUs, 65% of each PSU vests upon certification by the Compensation Committee of the Company of achieving a pre-determined performance goal by June 30, 2024, and 35% of each PSU vests upon certification by the Compensation Committee of the Company of achieving a pre-determined performance goal by June 30, 2024. The performance goal related to the 35% tranche of the PSUs was met and related stock-based compensation expense was recorded in 2023. In June 2024, pursuant to the terms of the PSUs, the Compensation Committee of the Company approved an extension of the achievement of the performance goal related to the 65% tranche of the PSUs from June 30, 2024 to December 31, 2024.
Expense recognition for PSUs commences when it is determined that attainment of the performance goal is met. As of December 31, 2024, the performance goal related to the 65% tranche of the PSUs was met and related stock-based compensation expense of $1.4 million was recorded. As of December 31, 2023, the performance goal related to the 35% tranche of the PSUs was met and related stock-based compensation expense of $0.7 million was recorded.
The following table summarizes the performance-based restricted stock activity under the 2020 plan during the year ended December 31, 2024:
|
|
|
Number of Shares |
|
|
Grant Date Fair Value |
|
|||
Unvested performance-based restricted stock as of December 31, 2023 |
|
|
|
403,000 |
|
|
$ |
|
3.38 |
|
Granted |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Vested |
|
|
|
(403,000 |
) |
|
|
|
3.38 |
|
Forfeited |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
— |
|
Unvested performance-based restricted stock as of December 31, 2024 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
$ |
|
— |
|
2020 Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP)
In 2020, the Board and the Company’s stockholders approved and adopted the ESPP. The ESPP permits eligible employees who elect to participate in an offering under the ESPP to have up to 15% of their eligible earnings withheld, subject to certain limitations, to purchase shares of common stock pursuant to the ESPP. The price of the common stock purchased under the ESPP is equal to the lesser of (i) 85% of the fair market value of a share of the Company’s common stock on the first day of an offering; or (ii) 85% of the fair market value of a share of the Company’s common stock on the date of purchase. Each offering period is not to exceed 27 months and will include one or more purchase periods (each a Purchase Period) as approved by the Board in the offering. A total of 430,416 shares of common stock were initially reserved for issuance pursuant to the ESPP. Subsequently, the number of shares of the Company’s common stock reserved for issuance under the ESPP automatically increases on January 1 of each year for a period of up to ten years, commencing on January 1, 2021 and continuing through January 1, 2030, in amount equal to the lesser of (i) 1% of the total number of shares of the Company’s common stock outstanding on December 31 of the preceding calendar year, (ii) 860,832 shares of common stock, or (iii) a lesser number of shares determined by the Board no later than December 31 of the preceding calendar year.
The ESPP is a compensatory plan as defined by the authoritative guidance for stock-based compensation. The Company uses the Black-Scholes option-pricing model to estimate the fair value of stock offered under the ESPP. Stock-based compensation expense related to the ESPP was $0.6 million and $0.5 million for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively.
149
Stock-Based Compensation Expense
Stock-based compensation expense related to awards granted under the 2014 Plan, the 2020 Plan, the ESPP and the 2022 Inducement Plan was classified in the consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss as follows (in thousands):
|
|
Years Ended December 31, |
|
|||||||
|
|
2024 |
|
|
2023 |
|
||||
Research and development |
|
$ |
|
16,543 |
|
|
$ |
|
11,769 |
|
General and administrative |
|
|
|
6,039 |
|
|
|
|
5,487 |
|
Total |
|
$ |
|
22,582 |
|
|
$ |
|
17,256 |
|
The reconciliation of the Federal statutory income tax (provision) benefit to the Company’s effective income tax provision is as follows (in thousands):
|
|
Years Ended December 31, |
|
|||||||
|
|
2024 |
|
|
2023 |
|
||||
Federal statutory income tax |
|
$ |
|
27,309 |
|
|
$ |
|
20,060 |
|
State income taxes, net of federal tax benefit |
|
|
|
8,550 |
|
|
|
|
6,133 |
|
Foreign research and development tax credit |
|
|
|
2,210 |
|
|
|
|
1,411 |
|
Permanent differences in non-tax-deductible executive compensation |
|
|
|
(3,348 |
) |
|
|
|
(2,842 |
) |
Permanent differences in foreign jurisdiction |
|
|
|
(1,650 |
) |
|
|
|
(1,013 |
) |
Permanent differences others |
|
|
|
(469 |
) |
|
|
|
323 |
|
Other deferred items |
|
|
|
351 |
|
|
|
|
750 |
|
Rate changes |
|
|
|
(90 |
) |
|
|
|
(63 |
) |
Valuation allowance |
|
|
|
(32,865 |
) |
|
|
|
(24,761 |
) |
Net expense for income taxes |
|
$ |
|
(2 |
) |
|
$ |
|
(2 |
) |
Deferred income taxes reflect the net tax effects of loss and credit carryforwards and temporary differences between the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities for financial reporting purposes and the amounts used for income tax purposes. The Company’s deferred income tax assets and liabilities at December 31, 2024 and 2023 comprised the following (in thousands):
|
|
As of December 31, |
|
|||||||
|
|
2024 |
|
|
2023 |
|
||||
Deferred tax assets: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
Net operating loss carryforwards |
|
$ |
|
60,600 |
|
|
$ |
|
44,705 |
|
Capitalized research and development |
|
|
|
35,639 |
|
|
|
|
20,562 |
|
Equity compensation |
|
|
|
6,963 |
|
|
|
|
5,105 |
|
Lease Liability |
|
|
|
405 |
|
|
|
|
682 |
|
Other |
|
|
|
1,482 |
|
|
|
|
1,452 |
|
Total deferred tax assets |
|
$ |
|
105,089 |
|
|
$ |
|
72,506 |
|
Deferred tax liabilities: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
Fixed assets |
|
$ |
|
(215 |
) |
|
$ |
|
(281 |
) |
Right-of-use assets |
|
|
|
(372 |
) |
|
$ |
|
(646 |
) |
Total deferred tax liabilities |
|
|
|
(587 |
) |
|
|
|
(927 |
) |
Valuation allowance |
|
|
|
(104,502 |
) |
|
|
|
(71,579 |
) |
Net deferred tax assets |
|
$ |
|
— |
|
|
$ |
|
— |
|
In assessing the realization of deferred tax assets, management considers whether it is more likely than not that some portion or all of the deferred tax assets will not be realized. The ultimate realization of deferred tax assets is dependent upon the generation of future taxable income during the periods in which those temporary differences become deductible.
150
Management considers the scheduled reversal of deferred tax liabilities, projected future taxable income and tax planning strategies in making this assessment. Based on the level of historical operating results and the uncertainty of the economic conditions, the Company has recorded a valuation allowance of $104.5 million and $71.6 million at December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. The change in the valuation allowance for the year end December 31, 2024 was an increase of $32.9 million.
At December 31, 2024 and 2023, the Company had Federal net operating losses (NOLs) of approximately $190.2 million and $150.8 million, and state NOLs of $296.7 million and $187.0 million, respectively. As a result of the Tax Act, as modified by the CARES Act, for U.S. income tax purposes, NOLs generated in tax years beginning before January 1, 2018 can still be carried forward for up to 20 years, but net operating losses generated for tax years beginning after December 31, 2017 are carryforward indefinitely and can be used to offset taxable income, but the deductibility of such Federal NOLs may be limited to 80% of current year taxable income for tax years beginning on or after December 31, 2024. Of the total Federal NOLs of $190.2 million, $3.3 million will begin to expire in 2032 and $186.9 million will not expire. The state NOL carryover of $296.7 million will begin to expire in 2032.
Pursuant to Internal Revenue Code (IRC) Sections 382 and 383, annual use of the Company’s net operating loss and research and development credit carryforwards may be limited in the event a cumulative change in ownership of more than 50% occurs within a three-year period. The Company has not completed an ownership change analysis pursuant to IRC Section 382. If ownership changes within the meaning of IRC Section 382 are identified as having occurred, the amount of remaining tax attribute carryforwards available to offset future taxable income and income tax expense in future years may be significantly restricted or eliminated. Further, the Company’s deferred tax assets associated with such tax attributes could be significantly reduced upon realization of an ownership change within the meaning of IRC Section 382 that has occurred or may occur in the future. Any adjustment to the Company’s tax attributes as a result of an ownership change will result in a corresponding decrease to the valuation allowance recorded against the Company’s deferred tax assets.
The Company’s valuation allowance increased during the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023 due primarily to the generation of net operating losses, as follows (in thousands):
|
|
Years Ended December 31, |
|
|||||||
|
|
2024 |
|
|
2023 |
|
||||
Valuation allowance at beginning of year |
|
$ |
|
71,579 |
|
|
$ |
|
47,427 |
|
Increase recorded to provision for income taxes |
|
|
|
32,923 |
|
|
|
|
24,152 |
|
Valuation allowance at end of year |
|
$ |
|
104,502 |
|
|
$ |
|
71,579 |
|
The Company has not incurred any material interest or penalties as of the current reporting date with respect to income tax matters. The Company is subject to U.S. Federal and state income taxes. The Federal and state income tax returns for tax years prior to 2024 may remain open to examination as carry-forward attributes generated prior may be adjusted upon examination.
151
Net Loss Per Common Share
Basic and diluted net loss per common share was calculated as follows (in thousands, except share and per share amounts):
|
|
Years Ended December 31, |
|
|||||||
|
|
2024 |
|
|
2023 |
|
||||
Numerator: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
Net loss |
|
$ |
|
(129,474 |
) |
|
$ |
|
(96,655 |
) |
Denominator: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
Weighted average shares used to compute net loss per share, basic and diluted* |
|
|
|
58,743,522 |
|
|
|
|
45,247,098 |
|
Net loss per share, basic and diluted |
|
$ |
|
(2.20 |
) |
|
$ |
|
(2.14 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
* reflects the weighted average effect of the pre-funded warrants issued on December 4, 2024 for basic and diluted net loss per share. |
|
|||||||||
The potentially dilutive shares that were excluded from the calculation of diluted net loss per share because their effect would have been anti-dilutive for the periods presented are as follows:
|
|
Years Ended December 31, |
|
|||||
|
|
2024 |
|
|
2023 |
|
||
Options to purchase common stock |
|
|
11,353,057 |
|
|
|
8,670,742 |
|
Unvested performance-based restricted stock units |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
403,000 |
|
Unvested restricted common stock |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
80,703 |
|
Employee stock purchase plan contingently issuable |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
13,988 |
|
|
|
|
11,353,057 |
|
|
|
9,168,433 |
|
The Company leases certain of its facilities under non-cancellable operating leases expiring at various dates through 2026.
On December 15, 2020, the Company entered into a lease agreement with Tennieh LLC to lease approximately 9,800 square feet of office and lab space in San Francisco, California (the Laboratory Lease Agreement). The Laboratory Lease Agreement is for a period of five years commencing approximately February 1, 2021 and ending January 31, 2026. According to the terms of the Laboratory Lease Agreement, the Company paid a $0.4 million security deposit and is required to pay monthly rent and common area charges.
On August 17, 2023, the Company entered into a sublease agreement with Dropbox, Inc. to sublease approximately 6,713 square feet of office space in San Francisco, California (the Dropbox Sublease Agreement). The Dropbox Sublease Agreement is for a period of two years commencing on September 5, 2023 and ending December 31, 2025. According to the terms of the Dropbox Sublease Agreement, the Company paid a $0.1 million security deposit and is required to pay monthly rent and common area charges. The sublease was accounted for under Topic 842 and the Company recorded ROU asset and lease liability of $0.2 million and $0.2 million, respectively, in the accompanying consolidated financial statements.
On August 23, 2023, the Company entered into a lease agreement with The Cambridge Redevelopment Authority to lease approximately 4,020 square feet of office space in Cambridge, Massachusetts (the Cambridge Lease Agreement). The Cambridge Lease Agreement is for a period of three years commencing on September 15, 2023 and ending September 14, 2026. According to the terms of the Cambridge Lease Agreement, the Company paid a less than $0.1 million security deposit and is required to pay monthly rent and common area charges.
152
The lease was accounted for under Topic 842 and the Company recorded ROU asset and lease liability of $0.7 million and $0.7 million, respectively, in the accompanying consolidated financial statements.
The following table summarizes total lease expense during the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023 (in thousands):
|
|
Years Ended December 31, |
|
|||||||
|
|
2024 |
|
|
2023 |
|
||||
Straight-line operating lease expense |
|
$ |
|
1,150 |
|
|
$ |
|
1,297 |
|
Short-term lease expense |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
164 |
|
Variable lease expense |
|
|
|
382 |
|
|
|
|
140 |
|
Total operating lease expense |
|
$ |
|
1,532 |
|
|
$ |
|
1,601 |
|
The following table summarizes supplemental cash flow information during the year ended December 31, 2024 and 2023 (in thousands):
|
|
Years Ended December 31, |
|
|||||||
|
|
2024 |
|
|
2023 |
|
||||
Cash paid for amounts included measurement of lease liabilities: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
Operating cash flows from operating leases |
|
$ |
|
1,162 |
|
|
$ |
|
1,231 |
|
Supplemental noncash information on lease liability arising from obtaining a right-use-asset |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
896 |
|
The following table summarizes the Company’s future minimum lease payments and reconciliation of lease liabilities as of December 31, 2024 (in thousands):
Years Ended December 31, |
|
|
|
|
|
2025 |
|
$ |
|
1,245 |
|
2026 |
|
|
|
263 |
|
Total future minimum lease payments |
|
|
|
1,508 |
|
Less: Interest |
|
|
|
(79 |
) |
Total lease liabilities at present value |
|
|
|
1,429 |
|
Lease liabilities, current |
|
|
|
1,172 |
|
Lease liabilities, non-current |
|
$ |
|
257 |
|
The following table summarizes lease term and discount rate as of December 31, 2024 and 2023:
|
|
Years Ended December 31, |
|
|||||
|
|
2024 |
|
|
2023 |
|
||
Weighted-average remaining lease term (years) |
|
|
1.27 |
|
|
|
2.25 |
|
Weighted-average discount rate |
|
|
9.00 |
% |
|
|
9.00 |
% |
12. Commitments and Contingencies
Clinical Trial Collaboration and Supply Agreement with Novartis
On November 29, 2024, the Company entered into a Clinical Trial Collaboration and Supply Agreement (the Novartis Pharma Agreement) with Novartis Pharma AG (Novartis). Pursuant to the Agreement, Novartis will provide the Company with ribociclib drug supply for the Company’s planned Phase 3 OPERA-02 trial of palazestrant in combination with ribociclib in ER+/HER2- frontline advanced or metastatic breast cancer (the "OPERA-02 trial").
153
Under the Agreement, the Company will supply (including manufacturing, packaging and labeling) palazestrant and letrozole for the OPERA-02 trial. Novartis will manufacture and supply (including primary packaging) the Company with a specified amount of ribociclib, which amount is expected to be sufficient for the OPERA-02 trial. The parties granted to each other a non-exclusive, royalty-free license under certain of the parties’ respective background patent rights and other technology to use the parties’ respective study drugs in research and development, solely to the extent reasonably needed for the other party’s activities in the collaboration. Any inventions developed in the performance of the clinical studies for the combined therapies (other than those specific to each component study drug) are jointly owned by the parties. Except as otherwise specified below, the Novartis Pharma Agreement does not grant any right of first negotiation to participate in future clinical trials, and each party retains all rights and ability to evaluate their respective compounds in any studies or clinical trials, either as a monotherapy or in combination with any other product or compound, in any therapeutic area. The parties retain their independent rights to commercialize their respective therapies both alone and with third parties.
The Company granted Novartis a right of first negotiation with respect to (a) the grant to any person or entity any right, license or sublicense to exploit palazestrant, in any field or territory, other than to third party service providers, or (b) the sale or other transfer to any person or entity of palazestrant and any related assets (each referred to herein as an Olema Compound Transaction). If the Company desires to or does, at any time, (a) solicit or entertain any third party proposal or indication of interest with respect to an Olema Compound Transaction, or (b) negotiate (including in response to any proposal or indication of interest received by the Company), enter into or perform under, in each case, any written definitive agreement with a third party with respect to or that contemplates an Olema Compound Transaction, then the Company must provide written notice to Novartis regarding such Olema Compound Transaction, along with certain other specified information. Novartis will have 30 days after receipt of such notice to elect to enter into exclusive good faith negotiations with respect to such Olema Compound Transaction for a period of up to 120 days.
If the Company’s board of directors (or a duly authorized board committee) determines that the Company should pursue or explore a change of control of the Company or sale of all or substantially all of its assets (an Olema Change of Control), other than in response to an unsolicited bona fide acquisition proposal (a Proposed Sale), the Company must promptly notify Novartis of such determination. In the event Novartis elects to engage in negotiations with the Company in respect of such Proposed Sale, then from the date such notice is given until 45 days after the later of (a) the date on which the foregoing notice is given to Novartis, (b) the date on which Novartis is given notice that a data room has been populated as required by the Novartis Pharma Agreement, and (c) entry by the Company and Novartis into a customary nondisclosure agreement, Novartis will have the exclusive right (but no obligation) to conduct due diligence on the Company and its business and negotiate with the Company and its representatives the definitive terms and conditions of the Proposed Sale.
If the Company or its affiliates receive an unsolicited bona fide acquisition proposal from a third party, the Company must promptly notify its board of directors (or a duly authorized board committee) of the receipt thereof and request that they consider the merits of such acquisition proposal. If, after such consideration, the Company’s board of directors (or authorized committee) authorizes the Company to engage in negotiations with regard to such acquisition proposal, then the Company must notify Novartis in writing within 24 hours of receipt of such authorization. To the extent possible in light of any confidentiality obligations, such notice must include a summary of the key structural, non-financial terms of such acquisition proposal.
In the event of an Olema Compound Transaction or Olema Change of Control involving a third party other than Novartis (the first to occur, a Repayment Trigger Event), the Company must promptly pay, or procure the payment of, the Repayment Amount (as defined below) to Novartis. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Novartis Pharma Agreement is terminated as a result of certain patient safety issues, lack of product efficacy, regulatory issues or clinical hold issues prior to the consummation of the Olema Compound Transaction or Olema Change of Control, then the Company shall not be obligated to pay the Repayment Amount unless (a) the Olema Change of Control or Olema Compound Transaction occurs after such termination and (b) prior to the fifth anniversary of such Olema Change of Control or Olema Compound Transaction (as applicable), the Company or its affiliates (or the applicable acquirer, successor, licensee or optionholder of the Company or its affiliates) enrolls a subject in any clinical study involving the combination of palazestrant and ribociclib (the Olema Combination) or submits any filing with any regulatory authority relating to the Olema Combination.
154
The “Repayment Amount” is the proportion of approximately $275 million that is represented by the number of units of ribociclib actually supplied to the Company under the Supply Agreement as of immediately prior to the Repayment Trigger Event as compared to the total number of units that could be supplied under the Novartis Pharma Agreement.
The foregoing rights of first negotiation, first offer and notice and repayment obligations remain in effect until the first to occur of: (a) the date that is 120 days after filing of the New Drug Application for the Olema Combination, (b) one year after any expiration or termination of the Novartis Pharma Agreement, and (c) such time as the Novartis Pharma Agreement is terminated by the Company due to Novartis’ material breach. However, in the event the Novartis Pharma Agreement is terminated due to certain patient safety issues, lack of product efficacy, regulatory issues or clinical hold issues prior to the consummation of an Olema Change of Control or Olema Compound Transaction, then the Repayment Obligation shall survive until the fifth anniversary of such Olema Change of Control or Olema Compound Transaction (as applicable) or, if payment of the Repayment Amount is required, until the next business day after the Repayment Amount has been received by Novartis.
The Novartis Pharma Agreement will terminate on the fifth anniversary of the date on which the first dose of palazestrant is administered to the first study subject. Either party may terminate the Novartis Pharma Agreement for the uncured material breach or insolvency of the other party, for failure to comply with certain anti-corruption obligations, in the event of a change of control of the other party, if it reasonably deems it necessary in order to protect the safety, health or welfare of subjects enrolled in the clinical studies for the combined therapies due to the existence of a material safety issue, if the parties jointly decide that the Olema Combination is not achieving sufficiently superior levels of efficacy, if any regulatory authority action prevents a party (or the Letrozole supplier) from supplying its product, in the event of an unresolved force majeure event, or in certain circumstances for an unresolved clinical hold with respect to ribociclib, palazestrant or letrozole (or the combination of ribociclib and palazestrant or ribociclib and letrozole). In addition, Novartis may terminate the Novartis Pharma Agreement if the Company has failed to commence the OPERA-02 trial on or prior to March 31, 2026 or if the Company consummates an Olema Compound Transaction, and the Company may terminate the Novartis Pharma Agreement if the Company terminates the OPERA-02 trial other than due to a material safety issue, efficacy issue, regulatory action or upon a clinical hold.
Loan Agreement
On September 5, 2023, the Company entered into the Original Loan Agreement by and between the Company and the Bank. The Original Loan Agreement provided for a four-year senior secured credit facility in an aggregate principal amount of up to $50.0 million (the Original Credit Facility), of which $25.0 million became available upon the closing of the 2023 Private Placement, and the remaining $25.0 million could have been made available upon approval of the Bank in its discretion. The Original Credit Facility was to mature on August 1, 2027 (the Original Maturity Date).
On June 28, 2024, the Company entered into a First Amendment to Loan and Security Agreement (the Amendment), by and between the Company and the Bank, which amends the terms of the Original Loan Agreement (the Original Loan Agreement, as amended, the "Loan Agreement"), in order to, among other things, (i) increase the aggregate principal amount of the Original Credit Facility from up to $50 million to up to $100 million, of which $25 million is currently available, an additional $25 million will become available upon the Company achieving certain milestones related to execution of a first line pivotal Phase 3 clinical trial of palazestrant in combination with ribociclib, and an additional $50 million which may be made available upon approval of the Bank (the Original Credit Facility, as amended, the Credit Facility), and (ii) extend the Original Maturity Date to July 1, 2028. As of December 31, 2024, the Company had not drawn down from the Credit Facility.
The obligations under the Loan Agreement are secured by substantially all of the assets of the Company, subject to limited exceptions.
155
During the term of the Credit Facility, interest will accrue on any outstanding balance due under the Credit Facility at a floating rate per annum equal to the higher of (i) 8.0% and (ii) the prime rate. During an event of default, any outstanding amount under the Credit Facility will bear interest at a rate of 3.0% in excess of the otherwise applicable rate of interest. The Company will pay certain fees with respect to the Credit Facility, including a prepayment fee on any amount advanced under the Credit Facility to the extent paid prior to the Maturity Date, a final payment fee on the amount advanced under the Credit Facility, and an unused commitment fee of 1.5% on the portion of Credit Facility that remains undrawn as of June 30, 2025, as well as certain other fees and expenses of the Bank.
The Loan Agreement contains customary events of default, including, but not limited to, nonpayment of principal, interest, fees or other amounts; material inaccuracy of a representation or warranty; failure to perform or observe covenants; cross-defaults with certain other indebtedness; bankruptcy and insolvency events; material monetary judgment defaults; material adverse change occurs; delisting; and a material impairment in the Bank’s security interest. Upon the occurrence of an event of default (subject, in certain cases, to notice and grace periods), obligations under the Loan Agreement may be accelerated.
The Loan Agreement also contains a number of customary representations, warranties and covenants that, among other things, limit the ability of the Company to (subject to certain qualifications and exceptions): create liens and encumbrances; incur additional indebtedness; merge, dissolve, liquidate or consolidate; make acquisitions, investments, advances or loans; dispose of or transfer assets; pay dividends or make other payments in respect of its capital stock; amend certain material documents; redeem or repurchase certain debt; make payments on subordinated debt; and engage in certain transactions with affiliates.
Clinical Collaboration and Supply Agreement with Novartis
On July 22, 2020, the Company entered into a non-exclusive clinical collaboration and supply agreement with Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Inc. ("Novartis"). On January 13, 2022, the Company entered into an amended and restated clinical collaboration and supply agreement with Novartis, and on October 9, 2023, the Company and Novartis entered into the amendment no. 1 (the "Novartis Amendment") to the amended and restated clinical collaboration and supply agreement (as amended, the Novartis Agreement). The collaboration is focused on the evaluation of the safety, tolerability and efficacy of palazestrant in combination with Novartis’ proprietary CDK4/6 inhibitor Kisqali® (ribociclib) and/or Novartis’ proprietary phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase ("PI3Ka") Inhibitor Piqray® (alpelisib) (collectively the "Novartis Study Drugs") as part of the Company’s Phase 1b/2 clinical study of palazestrant in patients with metastatic estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer. The Novartis Amendment, among other things, expanded the Company's clinical collaboration with Novartis, increasing the size of the ongoing Phase 1/2 clinical study testing palazestrant in combination with ribociclib to approximately 60 patients. The Company will be responsible for the conduct of the clinical trials for the combined therapies in accordance with a mutually agreed development plan. As part of the collaboration, the parties granted to each other a non-exclusive, royalty-free license under certain of the parties’ respective background patent rights and other technology to use the parties’ respective study drugs in research and development, solely to the extent reasonably needed for the other party’s activities in the collaboration. All inventions and data developed in the performance of the clinical trials for the combined therapies (other than those specific to each component study drug), will be jointly owned by the parties.
The Company is responsible for manufacturing, packaging and labeling palazestrant, and for packaging and labeling all drugs used in the clinical trials for the combined therapies (other than the Novartis Study Drugs). Novartis is responsible for manufacturing and delivering to the Company the Novartis Study Drugs in such quantities as reasonably needed for the clinical trials for the combined therapies. In accordance with an agreed budget, subject to certain thresholds, Novartis will reimburse the Company for a majority of the direct outside costs that the Company incurs related to conducting the activities under the agreed development plan in conducting the clinical trials for the combined therapies.
The Novartis Agreement will terminate upon completion of all activities outlined in the development plan and the relevant protocols. Either party may terminate the Novartis Agreement for the uncured material breach or insolvency of the other party, if it reasonably deems it necessary in order to protect the safety, health or welfare of subjects enrolled in the clinical trials for the combined therapies due to the existence of a material safety issue, or in certain circumstances for an unresolved clinical hold with respect to either the Novartis Study Drugs or palazestrant.
156
In addition, Novartis may terminate the Novartis Agreement if certain disputes between the parties are not resolved after following the applicable dispute resolution procedures, and the Company may terminate the Novartis Agreement in the event the Company terminates all clinical trials of the combined therapies other than due to a material safety issue or upon a clinical hold.
Costs associated with research activities performed under the agreement are included in research and development expenses in the accompanying consolidated financial statements, with any reimbursable costs from Novartis reflected as a reduction of such expenses. For the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, costs reimbursable from Novartis were zero and $2.0 million, respectively. As of December 31, 2023, the receivable due from Novartis was $1.5 million, which is recorded under prepaid expenses and other current assets in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets. This balance was fully collected in cash during the year ended December 31, 2024.
Clinical Trial Agreement
In November 2020, the Company entered into a non-exclusive clinical trial agreement with Pfizer Inc. ("Pfizer") (the "Pfizer Agreement"), to evaluate the safety and tolerability of palazestrant in combination with Pfizer’s proprietary CDK4/6 inhibitor IBRANCE® (palbociclib) in patients with recurrent, locally advanced or metastatic ER+, HER2 breast cancer in a clinical trial. Under the terms of the non-exclusive agreement, the Company will be responsible for conducting the clinical trial for the combined therapies and Pfizer is responsible for supplying IBRANCE® to the Company at no cost to the Company. As part of the collaboration, the parties granted to each other a non-exclusive, royalty-free license under certain of the parties’ respective patent rights in the combination of IBRANCE® and palazestrant to use the parties’ respective study drugs in research and development, solely to the extent reasonably needed for the other party’s activities in the collaboration. All inventions and data developed in the performance of the clinical trials for the combined therapies (other than those specific to each component study drug), will be jointly owned by the parties.
The Company is responsible for manufacturing, packaging and labeling palazestrant, and for packaging and labeling all drugs used in the clinical trials for the combined therapies (other than IBRANCE®). Pfizer is responsible for manufacturing and delivering to us IBRANCE® in such quantities as reasonably needed for the clinical trials for the combined therapies.
The Pfizer Agreement will terminate upon completion of all activities outlined in the study plan and the relevant protocols. Either party may terminate the Pfizer Agreement for the uncured material breach or insolvency of the other party, if it reasonably deems it necessary in order to protect the safety, health or welfare of subjects enrolled in the clinical trials for the combined therapies due to the existence of a material safety issue, or in certain circumstances for an unresolved clinical hold with respect to either the IBRANCE® or palazestrant. In addition, either party may terminate the Pfizer Agreement if certain disputes between the parties are not resolved after following the applicable dispute resolution procedures or if either party determines to discontinue clinical development for medical, scientific, legal or other reasons.
The Pfizer Agreement does not grant any right of first negotiation to participate in future clinical trials, and each of the parties retains all rights and ability to evaluate their respective compounds. Costs incurred in connection to the Pfizer Agreement are included in the research and development expense in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss for the years ended December 31, 2024, and 2023.
License Agreement
In June 2022, the Company entered into an exclusive global license agreement with Aurigene Discovery Technologies Limited ("Aurigene") to research, develop and commercialize novel small molecule inhibitors of an undisclosed oncology target (the "Aurigene Agreement”).
157
Under the terms of the Aurigene Agreement, Aurigene will provide to the Company an exclusive license to its portfolio of novel small molecule inhibitors of the target. Financial terms of the Aurigene Agreement include a $8.0 million upfront payment for rights to a pre-existing Aurigene program and potential future milestone payments of up to $60.0 million in clinical development and regulatory milestones, and up to $370.0 million in commercial milestones. Aurigene is also eligible to receive mid-single digits to the low double digits royalties as percentages of product sales, if any. During the research term, the Company will contribute funding to Aurigene to facilitate Aurigene’s ongoing discovery efforts. The Company and Aurigene will jointly direct further pre-clinical work and, if successful, the Company will lead clinical development as well as regulatory and commercial activities. The Company and Aurigene jointly own collaboration compounds and rights to any inventions made during the research term.
The term of the Aurigene Agreement will continue until the expiration of the last-to-expire of all payment obligations with respect to all licensed products thereunder, unless terminated earlier in accordance with the terms of the Aurigene Agreement. The Aurigene Agreement may be terminated (a) by the Company for convenience, in its sole discretion, upon prior written notice to Aurigene, (b) by either the Company or Aurigene in connection with the other party’s uncured material breach or (c) by either the Company or Aurigene in connection with the insolvency of the other party.
The $8.0 million upfront payment was incurred in June 2022. Costs incurred and milestones payments due to Aurigene prior to regulatory approval are recognized as research and development expenses in the period incurred. Payments due to Aurigene upon or subsequent to regulatory approval will be accrued as a provision to cost of sales in the period when achievement of respective milestone target is probable. The $5.0 million milestone payment related to initiation of the first IND-enabling safety study was incurred and recorded as research and development expenses in 2024. There was no other milestone met for the year ended December 31, 2024.
Management Services Agreements
The Company conducts research and development programs internally and through third parties that include, among others, arrangements with vendors, consultants, CMOs, and CROs. The Company has contractual arrangements in the normal course of business with these parties, however, the contracts with these parties are cancelable generally on reasonable notice within one year and the Company’s obligations under these contracts are primarily based on services performed through termination dates plus certain cancelation charges, if any, as defined in each of the respective agreements. In addition, these agreements may, from time to time, be subjected to amendments as a result of any change orders executed by the parties. As of December 31, 2024, the Company did not have material contractual commitments with respect to these arrangements.
Contingencies
From time to time, the Company may have certain contingent liabilities that arise in the ordinary course of business. The Company accrues a liability for such matters when it is probable that future expenditures will be made, and such expenditures can be reasonably estimated. For all periods presented, the Company was not a party to any pending material litigation or other material legal proceedings.
158
Indemnification Agreements
In the ordinary course of business, the Company may provide indemnification of varying scope and terms to vendors, lessors, business partners and other parties with respect to certain matters including, but not limited to, losses arising out of breach of such agreements or from intellectual property infringement claims made by third parties. In addition, the Company has entered into indemnification agreements with members of its Board and executive officers that will require the Company, among other things, to indemnify them against certain liabilities that may arise by reason of their status or service as directors or officers. The maximum potential amount of future payments the Company could be required to make under these indemnification agreements is, in many cases, unlimited. As of December 31, 2024 and 2023, the Company had not incurred any material costs as a result of such indemnifications.
159
Item 9. Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure.
None.
Item 9A. Controls and Procedures.
Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures
As of December 31, 2024, management, with the participation of our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, performed an evaluation of the effectiveness of the design and operation of our disclosure controls and procedures as defined in Rules 13a‑15(e) and 15d‑15(e) of the Exchange Act. Our disclosure controls and procedures are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed in the reports we file or submit under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms, and that such information is accumulated and communicated to our management, including the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosures.
Any controls and procedures, no matter how well designed and operated, can provide only reasonable assurance of achieving the desired control objective and management necessarily applies its judgment in evaluating the cost-benefit relationship of possible controls and procedures. Based on this evaluation, our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer concluded that, as of December 31, 2024, the design and operation of our disclosure controls and procedures were effective at a reasonable assurance level.
Management’s Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
Our management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting for our company. Internal control over financial reporting is defined in Rule 13a-15(f) or 15d-15(f) promulgated under the Exchange Act as a process designed by, or under the supervision of, the company’s principal executive and principal financial officers and effected by the company’s board of directors, management and other personnel, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with GAAP and includes those policies and procedures that: (i) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (ii) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of our company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the company; and (iii) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of our company’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.
Internal control over financial reporting is designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements prepared for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.
Our management, with the participation of our Chief Executive Officer (principal executive officer) and Chief Operating and Financial Officer (principal financial officer), assessed the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2024. In making this assessment, our management used the criteria set forth in the Internal Control—Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission. Based on its assessment, management concluded that our internal control over financial reporting was effective as of December 31, 2024 based on those criteria.
160
Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting
There was no change in our internal control over financial reporting identified in connection with the evaluation required by Rules 13a-15(d) and 15d-15(d) of the Exchange Act that occurred during the fourth quarter ended December 31, 2024 that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.
Item 9B. Other Information.
None.
Item 9C. Disclosure Regarding Foreign Jurisdictions that Prevent Inspections
Not Applicable.
161
PART III
Item 10. Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance.
Information required by this item regarding directors and director nominees, executive officers, the board of directors and its committees, and certain corporate governance matters is incorporated by reference to the information set forth under the captions “Proposal No. 1—Election of Directors,” “Corporate Governance and Board of Directors Matters” and “Executive Officers” in our Proxy Statement for our 2024 Annual Meeting of Stockholders. Information required by this item regarding compliance with Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act, if applicable, is incorporated by reference to the information set forth under the caption “Delinquent Section 16(a) Reports” in our Proxy Statement.
Our written code of business conduct and ethics (the Code of Conduct) applies to all of our employees, officers and directors, including our principal executive officer, principal financial officer and principal accounting officer or controller. The Code of Conduct is available on our corporate website at https://www.olema.com/ in the Investors & Media section under “Corporate Governance.” If we make any substantive amendments to our Code of Conduct or grant any of our directors or executive officers any waiver, including any implicit waiver, from a provision of our Code of Conduct, we will disclose the nature of the amendment or waiver on our website or in a Current Report on Form 8‑K. Information contained in, or that can be accessed through, our website is not incorporated by reference herein, and you should not consider information on our website to be part of this Annual Report.
Item 11. Executive Compensation.
Information required by this item regarding executive compensation is incorporated by reference to the information set forth under the captions “Executive Compensation” and “Director Compensation” in our Proxy Statement.
Item 12. Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters.
Information required by this item regarding security ownership of certain beneficial owners and management is incorporated by reference to the information set forth under the caption “Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management” and “Equity Compensation Plan Information” in our Proxy Statement.
Information required by this item regarding certain relationships, related transactions and director independence is incorporated by reference to the information set forth under the caption “Transactions with Related Persons and Indemnification” and “Corporate Governance and Board Matters” in our Proxy Statement.
Item 14. Principal Accountant Fees and Services.
Information required by this item regarding principal accounting fees and services is incorporated by reference to the information set forth under the caption “Proposal No. 4—Ratification of Selection of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm” in our Proxy Statement.
162
PART IV
Item 15. Exhibit and Financial Statement Schedules.
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Incorporation by Reference |
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Exhibit |
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Exhibit |
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Form |
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File No. |
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Exhibit |
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Filing |
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Filed |
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1.1 |
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Sales Agreement by and between Registrant and TD Securities (USA) LLC, dated January 6, 2025. |
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S-3 |
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333-28414 |
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1.2 |
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1/6/2025 |
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3.1 |
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8‑K |
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001‑39712 |
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3.1 |
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11/23/2020 |
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3.2 |
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8‑K |
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001‑39712 |
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3.1 |
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12/16/2022 |
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4.1 |
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S‑1 |
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333‑249748 |
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4.1 |
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10/30/2020 |
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4.2 |
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10-K |
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001‑39712 |
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4.3 |
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3/17/2021 |
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4.3 |
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8-K |
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001-39712 |
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4.1 |
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12/2/2024 |
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4.4 |
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8-K |
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001-39712 |
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4.1 |
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1/10/2025 |
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10.1# |
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S‑1 |
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333‑249748 |
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10.1 |
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10/30/2020 |
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10.2# |
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S‑1 |
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333‑249748 |
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10.2 |
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10/30/2020 |
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10.3# |
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S‑1/A |
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333‑249748 |
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10.3 |
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11/16/2020 |
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163
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Incorporation by Reference |
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Exhibit |
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Exhibit |
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Form |
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File No. |
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Exhibit |
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Filing |
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Filed |
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10.4# |
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S‑1 |
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333‑249748 |
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10.4 |
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10/30/2020 |
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10.5# |
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S‑1 |
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333‑249748 |
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10.5 |
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10/30/2020 |
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10.6# |
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Olema Pharmaceuticals, Inc. 2020 Employee Stock Purchase Plan. |
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S‑1/A |
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333‑249748 |
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10.6 |
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11/16/2020 |
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10.7# |
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Olema Pharmaceuticals, Inc. 2020 Non-Employee Director Compensation Policy. |
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S‑1/A |
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333‑249748 |
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10.7 |
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11/16/2020 |
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10.8# |
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S‑1 |
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333‑249748 |
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10.8 |
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10/30/2020 |
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10.9# |
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S‑1/A |
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333‑249748 |
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10.9 |
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11/16/2020 |
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10.10# |
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S‑1/A |
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333‑249748 |
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10.12 |
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11/16/2020 |
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10.11# |
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S‑1/A |
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333‑249748 |
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10.14 |
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11/16/2020 |
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10.12¥ |
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10-Q |
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001-39712 |
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10.1 |
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5/9/2023 |
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10.13 |
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8-K |
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001-39712 |
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10.1 |
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10/10/2023 |
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10.14# |
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Olema Pharmaceuticals, Inc. 2022 Inducement Plan, as amended December 5, 2024. |
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X |
164
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Incorporation by Reference |
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Exhibit |
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Exhibit |
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Form |
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File No. |
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Exhibit |
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Filing |
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Filed |
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10.15# |
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Form of Stock Option Agreement and Option Grant Notice under the Inducement Plan. |
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10-K |
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001-39712 |
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10.18 |
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2/28/2022 |
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10.16# |
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Offer Letter by and between the Registrant and Naseem Zojwalla, dated December 15, 2021. |
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10-K |
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001-39712 |
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10.19 |
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2/28/2022 |
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10.17¥
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10-Q |
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001-39712 |
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10.1 |
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8/9/2022 |
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10.18# |
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Offer Letter by and between the Registrant and Shawnte Mitchell, dated January 27, 2025 |
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X |
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10.19 |
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8-K |
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001-39712 |
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10.1 |
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9/5/2023 |
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10.20 |
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8-K |
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001-39712 |
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10.2 |
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9/5/2023 |
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10.21 |
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10-Q |
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001-39712 |
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10.1 |
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5/8/2024 |
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10.22 |
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10-Q |
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001-39712 |
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10.1 |
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8/6/2024 |
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10.23# |
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Olema Pharmaceuticals, Inc. |
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10-Q |
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001-39712 |
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10.2 |
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8/6/2024 |
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165
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Incorporation by Reference |
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Exhibit |
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Exhibit |
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Form |
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File No. |
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Exhibit |
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Filing |
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Filed |
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10.24 |
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8-K |
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001-39712 |
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10.1 |
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12/2/2024 |
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10.25¥ |
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X |
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10.26¥ |
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X |
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10.27¥ |
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X |
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19.1 |
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X |
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21.1 |
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10-K |
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001-39712 |
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21.1 |
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3/11/2024 |
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23.1 |
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X |
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24.1 |
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Power of Attorney (included on the Signatures page of this Annual Report on Form 10‑K). |
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X |
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31.1 |
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X |
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31.2 |
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X |
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166
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Incorporation by Reference |
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Exhibit |
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Exhibit |
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Form |
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File No. |
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Exhibit |
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Filing |
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Filed |
32.1† |
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X |
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32.2† |
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X |
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97.1 |
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10-K |
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001-39712 |
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97.1 |
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3/11/2024 |
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101.INS |
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Inline XBRL Instance Document – the instance document does not appear in the Interactive Data File because its XBRL tags are embedded within the Inline XBRL Document |
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X |
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101.SCH |
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Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema With Embedded Linkbase Documents |
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X |
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104 |
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Cover Page formatted as Inline XBRL and contained in Exhibit 101 |
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X |
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# Indicates management contract or compensatory plan or arrangement.
† The certifications attached as Exhibit 32.1 and Exhibit 32.2 that accompany this Annual Report on Form 10-K are not deemed filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and are not to be incorporated by reference into any filing of the Registrant under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, whether made before or after the date of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, irrespective of any general incorporation language contained in such filing.
¥ Pursuant to Item 601(b)(10) of Regulation S-K, portions of this exhibit have been omitted as the Registrant has determined that the omitted information is the type that the Registrant customarily and actually treats as private or confidential and is not material.
Item 16. Form 10‑K Summary.
None.
167
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
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Olema Pharmaceuticals, Inc. |
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Date: March 18, 2025 |
By: |
/s/ Sean Bohen, M.D., Ph.D. |
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Sean Bohen, M.D., Ph.D. |
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Chief Executive Officer |
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168
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
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Olema Pharmaceuticals, Inc. |
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Date: March 18, 2025 |
By: |
/s/ Shane Kovacs |
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Shane Kovacs |
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Chief Operating and Financial Officer |
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169
POWER OF ATTORNEY
KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints Sean Bohen, M.D., Ph.D., Shane Kovacs and Shawnte Mitchell, and each of them, as his or her true and lawful attorneys-in-fact and agents, with full power of substitution for him or her, and in his or her name in any and all capacities, to sign any and all amendments to this Annual Report on Form 10‑K, and to file the same, with exhibits thereto and other documents in connection therewith, with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorneys-in-fact and agents, and each of them, full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done therewith, as fully to all intents and purposes as he or she might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact and agents, and either of them, his or her substitute or substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
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Name |
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Title |
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Date |
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/s/ Sean Bohen, M.D., Ph.D. |
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President, Chief Executive Officer and Director |
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March 18, 2025 |
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Sean Bohen, M.D., Ph.D. |
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(Principal Executive Officer) |
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/s/ Shane Kovacs |
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Chief Operating and Financial Officer |
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March 18, 2025 |
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Shane Kovacs |
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(Principal Financial Officer and Principal Accounting Officer) |
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/s/ Ian Clark |
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Director |
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March 18, 2025 |
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Ian Clark |
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/s/ Cynthia Butitta |
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Director |
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March 18, 2025 |
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Cynthia Butitta |
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/s/ Cyrus L. Harmon |
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Director |
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March 18, 2025 |
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Cyrus L. Harmon |
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/s/ Sandra J. Horning, M.D. |
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Director |
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March 18, 2025 |
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Sandra J. Horning, M.D. |
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/s/ Gorjan Hrustanovic, Ph.D. |
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Director |
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March 18, 2025 |
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Gorjan Hrustanovic, Ph.D. |
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/s/ Yi Larson |
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Director |
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March 18, 2025 |
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Yi Larson |
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/s/ Andrew Rappaport |
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Director |
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March 18, 2025 |
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Andrew Rappaport |
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/s/ Graham Walmsley, M.D., Ph.D. |
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Director |
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March 18, 2025 |
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Graham Walmsley, M.D., Ph.D. |
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/s/ Scott Garland |
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Director |
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March 18, 2025 |
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Scott Garland |
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170
Exhibit 1.1
OLEMA PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
$100,000,000
COMMON STOCK
SALES AGREEMENT
March 9, 2023
Oppenheimer & Co. Inc.
85 Broad Street
New York, New York 10004
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Olema Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (the “Company”), confirms its agreement (this “Agreement”) with Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. (the “Agent”), as follows:
1. Issuance and Sale of Shares. The Company agrees that, from time to time during the term of this Agreement, on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth herein, it may issue and sell through the Agent, acting as agent and/or principal, shares (the “Placement Shares”) of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.0001 per share (the “Common Stock”), having an aggregate offering price of up to $100,000,000.00 (the “Maximum Amount”). Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, the parties hereto agree that compliance with the limitation set forth in this Section 1 on the number of shares of Common Stock issued and sold under this Agreement shall be the sole responsibility of the Company, and the Agent shall have no obligation in connection with such compliance. The issuance and sale of the Placement Shares through the Agent will be effected pursuant to the Registration Statement (as defined below) filed by the Company and declared effective by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”), although nothing in this Agreement shall be construed as requiring the Company to use the Registration Statement (as defined below) to issue the Placement Shares.
The Company has prepared and filed, in accordance with the provisions of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder (collectively, the “Securities Act”), with the Commission a registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-263117), including a base prospectus (the “Base Prospectus”), relating to certain securities, including the Common Stock, to be issued from time to time by the Company, and which incorporates by reference documents that the Company has filed or will file in accordance with the provisions of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder (collectively, the “Exchange Act”). The Company has prepared a prospectus supplement specifically relating to the Placement Shares (the “Prospectus Supplement”) to the Base Prospectus included as part of such registration statement. The Company has furnished to the Agent, for use by the Agent, copies of the prospectus included as part of such registration statement, as supplemented by the Prospectus Supplement, relating to the Placement Shares.
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Except where the context otherwise requires, such registration statement, and any post-effective amendment thereto, as amended when it became effective, including all documents filed as part thereof or incorporated by reference therein, and including any information contained in a Prospectus (as defined below) subsequently filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act or deemed to be a part of such registration statement pursuant to Rule 430B or Rule 462(b) of the Securities Act, or any subsequent registration statement on Form S-3 filed pursuant to Rule 415(a)(6) under the Securities Act by the Company with respect to the Placement Shares, is herein called the “Registration Statement.” The base prospectus, including all documents incorporated therein by reference, included in the Registration Statement, as it may be supplemented by the Prospectus Supplement, in the form in which such prospectus and/or Prospectus Supplement have most recently been filed by the Company with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act, together with any “issuer free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 433 of the Securities Act (“Rule 433”), relating to the Placement Shares that (i) is consented to by the Agent, hereinafter referred to as a “Permitted Free Writing Prospectus,” (ii) is required to be filed with the Commission by the Company or (iii) is exempt from filing pursuant to Rule 433(d)(5)(i), in each case in the form filed or required to be filed with the Commission or, if not required to be filed, in the form retained in the Company’s records pursuant to Rule 433(g), is herein called the “Prospectus.” Any reference herein to the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto shall be deemed to refer to and include the documents incorporated by reference therein, and any reference herein to the terms “amend,” “amendment” or “supplement” with respect to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include the filing after the execution hereof of any document with the Commission deemed to be incorporated by reference therein. For purposes of this Agreement, all references to the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or to any amendment or supplement thereto shall be deemed to include any copy filed with the Commission pursuant to the Electronic Data Gathering Analysis and Retrieval System (“EDGAR”). The Company’s obligations under this Agreement to furnish, provide, deliver or make available (and all other similar references) copies of any document shall be deemed satisfied if the same is filed with the Commission through EDGAR.
2. Placements. Each time that the Company wishes to issue and sell any Placement Shares through the Agent hereunder (each, a “Placement”), it will notify the Agent by email notice (or other method mutually agreed to in writing by the parties) (each such notice, a “Placement Notice”) containing the parameters in accordance with which it desires the Placement Shares to be sold, which shall at a minimum include the number or amount of Placement Shares to be issued, the time period during which sales are requested to be made, any limitation on the number of Placement Shares that may be sold in any one Trading Day (as defined in Section 3) and any minimum price below which sales may not be made, a form of which containing such minimum sales parameters necessary is attached hereto as Schedule 1. The Placement Notice shall originate from any of the individuals from the Company set forth on Schedule 2 (with a copy to each of the other individuals from the Company listed on such schedule), and shall be addressed to each of the individuals from the Agent set forth on Schedule 2, as such Schedule 2 may be amended from time to time. The Placement Notice shall be effective upon receipt by the Agent unless and until (i) in accordance with the notice requirements set forth in Section 4, the Agent declines to accept the terms contained therein for any reason, in its sole discretion, (ii) the entire amount of the Placement Shares have been sold, (iii) in accordance with the notice requirements set forth in Section 4, the Company suspends or terminates the Placement Notice, which it may do for any reason, in its sole discretion, (iv) the Company issues a subsequent Placement Notice, which it may do for any reason, in its sole discretion, with parameters superseding those in the earlier dated Placement Notice, or (v) this Agreement has been terminated under the provisions of Section 11. The amount of any discount, commission or other compensation to be paid by the Company to the Agent in connection with the sale of the Placement Shares shall be calculated in accordance with the terms set forth in Schedule 3. It is expressly acknowledged and agreed that neither the Company nor the Agent will have any obligation whatsoever with respect to a Placement or any Placement Shares unless and until the Company delivers a Placement Notice to the Agent and the Agent does not decline such Placement Notice pursuant to the terms set forth above, and then only upon the terms specified therein and herein. In the event of a conflict between the terms of this Agreement and the terms of a Placement Notice, the terms of the Placement Notice will control with respect to the matters covered thereby.
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3. Sale of Placement Shares by the Agent. Subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, upon the Company’s delivery of a Placement Notice, and unless the sale of the Placement Shares described therein has been declined, suspended, or otherwise terminated in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, the Agent, for the period specified in the Placement Notice, will use its commercially reasonable efforts consistent with its normal trading and sales practices and applicable state and federal laws, rules and regulations and the rules of the Nasdaq Stock Market, Inc. (“Nasdaq”) to sell such Placement Shares up to the amount specified, and otherwise in accordance with the terms of such Placement Notice. The Agent will provide written confirmation to the Company (including by email correspondence to each of the individuals of the Company set forth on Schedule 2, if receipt of such correspondence is actually acknowledged by any of the individuals to whom the notice is sent, other than via auto-reply) no later than the opening of the Trading Day (as defined below) immediately following the Trading Day on which it has made sales of Placement Shares hereunder setting forth the number of Placement Shares sold on such day, the volume-weighted average price of the Placement Shares sold, and the Net Proceeds (as defined below) payable to the Company. In the event the Company engages the Agent for a sale of Placement Shares that would constitute a “block” within the meaning of Rule 10b-18(a)(5) under the Exchange Act (a “Block Sale”), the Company will provide the Agent, at the Agent’s request and upon reasonable advance notice to the Company, on or prior to the Settlement Date (as defined below), the opinions of counsel, accountant’s letter and officers’ certificates set forth in Section 8. hereof, each dated the Settlement Date, and such other documents and information as the Agent shall reasonably request. The Agent may sell Placement Shares by any method permitted by law deemed to be an “at the market” offering as defined in Rule 415 of the Securities Act, including without limitation sales made directly on or through Nasdaq, or on any other existing trading market for the Common Stock or to or through a market maker. If expressly authorized by the Company (including in a Placement Notice), the Agent may also sell Placement Shares in negotiated transactions. The Agent shall not purchase Placement Shares for its own account as principal unless expressly authorized to do so by the Company in a Placement Notice. The Company acknowledges and agrees that (i) there can be no assurance that the Agent will be successful in selling Placement Shares, and (ii) the Agent will incur no liability or obligation to the Company or any other person or entity if it does not sell Placement Shares for any reason other than a failure by the Agent to use its commercially reasonable efforts consistent with its normal trading and sales practices to sell such Placement Shares as required under this Section 3 and (iii) the Agent shall be under no obligation to purchase Placement Shares on a principal basis pursuant to this Agreement unless the Company and the Agent enter into a separate written agreement setting forth the terms of such sale. For the purposes hereof, “Trading Day” means any day on which the Company’s Common Stock is purchased and sold on the principal market on which the Common Stock is listed or quoted.
Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, the Company shall not offer, sell or deliver, or request the offer or sale, of any Placement Shares pursuant to this Agreement and, by notice to the Agent given by telephone (confirmed promptly by email), shall cancel any instructions for the offer or sale of any Placement Shares, and the Agent shall not be obligated to offer or sell any Placement Shares, (i) during any period in which the Company is, or could be deemed to be, in possession of material non-public information, or (ii) at any time from and including the date on which the Company shall issue a press release containing, or shall otherwise publicly announce, its earnings, revenues or other results of operations (an “Earnings Announcement”) through and including the time that the Company files a Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q or an Annual Report on Form 10-K that includes consolidated financial statements as of and for the same period or periods, as the case may be, covered by such Earnings Announcement.
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4. Suspension of Sales.
(a) The Company or the Agent may, upon notice to the other party in writing (including by email correspondence to each of the individuals of the other party set forth on Schedule 2, if receipt of such correspondence is actually acknowledged by any of the individuals to whom the notice is sent, other than via auto-reply) or by telephone (confirmed immediately by email correspondence to each of the individuals of the other party set forth on Schedule 2), suspend any sale of Placement Shares; provided, however, that such suspension shall not affect or impair either party’s obligations with respect to any Placement Shares sold hereunder prior to the receipt of such notice. While a suspension is in effect, any obligation under Section 7(m), 7(n), 7(o) and 7(p) with respect to delivery of certificates, opinions, negative assurance letters or comfort letters to Agent, shall be waived; provided that such certificates, opinions, negative assurance letters or comfort letters shall be delivered to the Agent prior to the resumption of sales of any Placement Shares. Each of the parties agrees that no such notice under this Section 4 shall be effective against the other unless it is made to one of the individuals named on Schedule 2 hereto as such schedule may be amended from time to time.
(b) If either the Agent or the Company has reason to believe that the exemptive provisions set forth in Rule 101(c)(1) of Regulation M under the Exchange Act are not satisfied with respect to the Common Stock, it shall promptly notify the other party, and the Agent may, at its sole discretion, suspend sales of the Placement Shares under this Agreement.
(c) The Registration Statement was declared effective by the Commission on May 2, 2022. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, during any period in which the Registration Statement is no longer effective under the Securities Act, the Company shall promptly notify the Agent, the Company shall not request the sale of any Placement Shares, and the Agent shall not be obligated to sell or offer to sell any Placement Shares. The requirement to promptly notify the Agent pursuant to this Section 4(c) shall be waived during any period in which no Placement Notice is pending.
5. Settlement.
(a) Settlement of Placement Shares. Unless otherwise specified in the applicable Placement Notice, settlement for sales of Placement Shares will occur on the second (2nd) Trading Day (or such earlier day as is industry practice or as is required for regular-way trading) following the date on which such sales are made (each, a “Settlement Date” and the first such settlement date, the “First Delivery Date”). The amount of proceeds to be delivered to the Company on a Settlement Date against receipt of the Placement Shares sold (the “Net Proceeds”) will be equal to the aggregate gross sales price received by the Agent at which such Placement Shares were sold, after deduction for (i) the Agent’s commission, discount or other compensation for such sales payable by the Company pursuant to Section 2 hereof, (ii) any other amounts due and payable by the Company to the Agent hereunder pursuant to Section 7(g) (Expenses) hereof, and (iii) any transaction fees imposed by any governmental or self-regulatory organization in respect of such sales that are payable by the Agent.
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(b) Delivery of Placement Shares. On or before each Settlement Date, the Company will, or will cause its transfer agent to, electronically transfer the Placement Shares being sold by crediting the Agent’s or its designee’s account (provided the Agent shall have given the Company written notice of such designee at least one (1) Trading Day prior to the Settlement Date) at The Depository Trust Company through its Deposit and Withdrawal at Custodian System or by such other means of delivery as may be mutually agreed upon by the parties hereto which in all cases shall be duly authorized, freely tradeable, transferable, registered shares of Common Stock in good deliverable form. On each Settlement Date, the Agent will deliver the related Net Proceeds in same day funds to an account designated by the Company on, or prior to, the Settlement Date. The Company agrees that if the Company, or its transfer agent (if applicable), defaults in its obligation to deliver duly authorized Placement Shares on a Settlement Date through no fault of the Agent, the Company agrees that in addition to and in no way limiting the rights and obligations set forth in Section 9(a) (Company Indemnification) hereto, it will (i) hold the Agent harmless against any loss, claim, damage, or reasonable and documented expense (including reasonable and documented legal fees and expenses), as incurred, arising out of or in connection with such default by the Company or its transfer agent (if applicable) and (iii) pay to the Agent any commission, discount or other compensation to which it would otherwise have been entitled absent such default.
6. Representations and Warranties of the Company. The Company represents and warrants to, and agrees with, the Agent that, unless such representation, warranty or agreement specifies a different time, as of (i) the date of this Agreement, (ii) each Time of Sale (as defined below), (iii) each Settlement Date, and (iv) each Bring-Down Date (as defined below) (each date included in (i) through (iv), a “Representation Date”):
(a) Compliance with Registration Requirements. The Registration Statement and any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement have been declared effective by the Commission under the Securities Act. The Company has complied to the Commission’s satisfaction with all requests of the Commission for additional or supplemental information related to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement. No stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement is in effect and no proceedings for such purpose have been instituted or are pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened by the Commission. The Company meets the requirements for use of Form S‑3 under the Securities Act. The sale of the Placement Shares hereunder meets the requirements of General Instruction I.B.1 of Form S-3.
(b) No Misstatement or Omission. The Prospectus when filed complied and, as amended or supplemented, if applicable, will comply in all material respects with the Securities Act. Each of the Registration Statement, any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, the Prospectus and any post-effective amendments or supplements thereto, at the time it became effective or its date, as applicable, complied and as of each Representation Date, complied and will comply in all material respects with the Securities Act and did not and, as of each Representation Date, did not and will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading. The Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, as of its date, did not and, as of each Representation Date, will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The representations and warranties set forth in the two immediately preceding sentences do not apply to statements in or omissions from the Registration Statement, any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, or any post-effective amendment thereto, or the Prospectus, or any amendments or supplements thereto, made in reliance upon and in conformity with information relating to Agent’s Information (as defined below). There are no contracts or other documents required to be described in the Prospectus or to be filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement which have not been described or filed as required. As used herein, “Time of Sale” means with respect to each offering of Placement Shares pursuant to this Agreement, the time of the Agent’s initial entry into contracts with purchasers for the sale of such Placement Shares.
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(c) Offering Materials Furnished to the Agent. The Company has delivered to the Agent one complete copy of the Registration Statement and a copy of each consent and certificate of experts filed as a part thereof, and conformed copies of the Registration Statement (without exhibits) and the Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, in such quantities and at such places as the Agent has reasonably requested. The Registration Statement, the Prospectus and any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus (to the extent any such Permitted Free Writing Prospectus was required to be filed with the Commission) delivered to the Agent for use in connection with the public offering of the Placement Shares contemplated herein have been and will be identical to the versions of such documents transmitted to the Commission for filing via EDGAR, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T.
(d) Not an Ineligible Issuer. The Company currently is not an “ineligible issuer,” as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act. The Company agrees to notify the Agent promptly upon the Company becoming an “ineligible issuer.”
(e) [Reserved].
(f) Distribution of Offering Material By the Company. The Company has not distributed and will not distribute, prior to the completion of the Agent’s distribution of the Placement Shares, any offering material in connection with the offer and sale of the Placement Shares other than the Prospectus or the Registration Statement.
(g) Due Authorization. The Company has full right, power and authority to execute and deliver this Agreement and to perform its obligations hereunder; and all action required to be taken for the due and proper authorization, execution and delivery by it of this Agreement and the consummation by it of the transactions contemplated hereby has been duly and validly taken.
(h) The Sales Agreement. This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by, and, assuming the due authorization, execution and delivery by the Agent, is a valid and binding agreement of, the Company, enforceable in accordance with its terms, except as rights to indemnification hereunder may be limited by applicable law and except as the enforcement hereof may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or other similar laws relating to or affecting the rights and remedies of creditors or by general equitable principles.
(i) Authorization of the Common Stock. The Placement Shares, when issued and delivered, will be duly authorized for issuance and sale pursuant to this Agreement and, when issued and delivered by the Company against payment therefor pursuant to this Agreement, will be duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable and will conform in all material respects to the descriptions thereof in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus; and the issuance of the Placement Shares is not subject to any preemptive or similar rights that have not been duly waived or satisfied.
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(j) Capitalization. The Company has an authorized capitalization as set forth or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus as of the date specified therein; all the outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company have been duly and validly authorized and issued and are fully paid and non-assessable and are not subject to any pre-emptive or similar rights that have not been duly waived or satisfied; except as described in or expressly contemplated by the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, there are no outstanding rights (including, without limitation, pre-emptive rights that have not been duly waived or satisfied), warrants or options to acquire, or instruments convertible into or exchangeable for, any shares of capital stock or other equity interest in the Company or any of its subsidiaries, or any contract, commitment, agreement, understanding or arrangement of any kind relating to the issuance of any capital stock of the Company or any such subsidiary, any such convertible or exchangeable securities or any such rights, warrants or options; the capital stock of the Company conforms in all material respects to the description thereof contained in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus; and all the outstanding shares of capital stock or other equity interests of each subsidiary owned, directly or indirectly, by the Company have been duly and validly authorized and issued, are fully paid and non-assessable and are owned directly or indirectly by the Company, free and clear of any lien, charge, encumbrance, security interest, restriction on voting or transfer or any other claim of any third party.
(k) Stock Options. With respect to the stock options (the “Stock Options”) granted pursuant to the stock-based compensation plans of the Company and its subsidiaries (the “Company Stock Plans”), except to the extent not material, (i) each Stock Option intended to qualify as an “incentive stock option” under Section 422 of the Code (as defined below) so qualifies, (ii) each grant of a Stock Option was duly authorized no later than the date on which the grant of such Stock Option was by its terms to be effective (the “Grant Date”) by all necessary corporate action, including, as applicable, approval by the board of directors of the Company (or a duly constituted and authorized committee thereof) and any required stockholder approval by the necessary number of votes or written consents, and the award agreement governing such grant (if any) was duly executed and delivered by each party thereto, (iii) each such grant was made in accordance with the terms of the Company Stock Plans, the Exchange Act and all other applicable laws and regulatory rules or requirements, including the applicable rules of Nasdaq, and (iv) each such grant was properly accounted for in accordance with GAAP (as defined below) in the financial statements (including the related notes) of the Company. The Company has not knowingly granted, and there is no and has been no policy or practice of the Company of granting, Stock Options prior to, or otherwise coordinating the grant of Stock Options with, the release or other public announcement of material information regarding the Company or its subsidiaries or their results of operations or prospects.
(l) No Applicable Registration or Other Similar Rights. There are no persons with registration or other similar rights to have any equity or debt securities registered for sale under the Registration Statement or included in the offering contemplated by this Agreement, except for such rights as have been duly waived.
(m) No Material Adverse Change. Since the date of the most recent financial statements of the Company included or incorporated by reference in the Prospectus, (i) there has not been any change in the capital stock (other than the issuance of shares of Common Stock upon exercise of stock options and vesting and settlement of restricted stock units described as outstanding in, and the grant of options and awards under existing equity incentive plans described in, the Registration Statement and the Prospectus), short-term debt or long-term debt of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, or any dividend or distribution of any kind declared, set aside for payment, paid or made by the Company on any class of capital stock, or any material adverse change, or any development that would reasonably be expected to result in a material adverse change, in or affecting the business, properties, management, financial position, stockholders’ equity, results of operations or prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole; (ii) neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has entered into any transaction or agreement (whether or not in the ordinary course of business) that is material to the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole or incurred any liability or obligation, direct or contingent, that is material to the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole; and (iii) neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has sustained any loss or interference with its business that is material to the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole and that is either from fire, explosion, flood or other calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or from any labor disturbance or dispute or any action, order or decree of any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority, except in each case as otherwise disclosed in the Prospectus.
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(n) Independent Accountants. Ernst & Young LLP, who has expressed its opinion with respect to the consolidated financial statements (which term as used in this Agreement includes the related notes thereto) and supporting schedules filed with the Commission or incorporated by reference as a part of the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, is an independent registered public accounting firm as required by the Securities Act and the Exchange Act.
(o) Preparation of the Financial Statements. The financial statements (including the related notes thereto) of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus comply in all material respects with the applicable requirements of the Securities Act and present fairly in all material respects the financial position of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries as of the dates indicated and the results of their operations and the changes in their cash flows for the periods specified; such financial statements have been prepared in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) in the United States applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods covered thereby, except in the case of unaudited interim financial statements, which are subject to normal year-end adjustments and do not contain certain footnotes as permitted by the applicable rules of the Commission, and any supporting schedules included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and Prospectus present fairly in all material respects the information required to be stated therein; and the other financial information included in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus has been derived from the accounting records of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries and presents fairly in all material respects the information shown thereby; and the pro forma financial information and the related notes thereto have been prepared in accordance with the applicable requirements of the Securities Act in all material respects, and the assumptions underlying such pro forma financial information are reasonable and are set forth in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus.
(p) XBRL. The interactive data in eXtensible Business Reporting Language included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement fairly presents the information called for in all material respects and has been prepared in accordance with the Commission’s rules and guidelines applicable thereto.
(q) Incorporation and Good Standing of the Company and its Subsidiaries. The Company and each of its subsidiaries have been duly organized and are validly existing and in good standing under the laws of their respective jurisdictions of organization, are duly qualified to do business and are in good standing in each jurisdiction in which their respective ownership or lease of property or the conduct of their respective businesses requires such qualification, and have all power and authority necessary to own or hold their respective properties and to conduct the businesses in which they are engaged, except where the failure to be so qualified or in good standing or have such power or authority would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a material adverse effect on the business, properties, management, financial position, stockholders’ equity, results of operations or prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole or on the performance by the Company of its obligations under this Agreement (a “Material Adverse Change”). The Company does not own or control, directly or indirectly, any corporation, association or other entity other than the subsidiaries listed in Exhibit 21.1 to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the most recently ended fiscal year and other than (i) those subsidiaries not required to be listed on Exhibit 21.1 by Item 601 of Regulation S-K under the Exchange Act and (ii) those subsidiaries formed since the last day of the most recently ended fiscal year.
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(r) No Conflicts. The execution, delivery and performance by the Company of this Agreement, the issuance and sale of the Placement Shares and the consummation by the Company of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and the Prospectus will not (i) conflict with or result in a breach or violation of any of the terms or provisions of, or constitute a default under, result in the termination, modification or acceleration of, or result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any property, right or asset of the Company or any of its subsidiaries pursuant to, any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement or other agreement or instrument to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or by which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is bound or to which any property, right or asset of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is subject, (ii) result in any violation of the provisions of the charter or by-laws or similar organizational documents of the Company or any of its subsidiaries or (iii) result in the violation of any law or statute or any judgment, order, rule or regulation of any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority, except, in the case of clauses (i) and (iii) above, for any such conflict, breach, violation, default, lien, charge or encumbrance that would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Change.
(s) No Consents Required. No consent, approval, authorization, order, registration or qualification of or with any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority is required for the execution, delivery and performance by the Company of this Agreement, the issuance and sale of the Placement Shares and the consummation by the Company of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, except for the registration of the Placement Shares under the Securities Act and such consents, approvals, authorizations, orders and registrations or qualifications as may be required by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”) and under applicable state securities or blue sky laws in connection with the sale of the Placement Shares by the Agent.
(t) Non-Contravention of Existing Instruments. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is (i) in violation of its charter or by-laws or similar organizational documents; (ii) in default, and no event has occurred that, with notice or lapse of time or both, would constitute such a default, in the due performance or observance of any term, covenant or condition contained in any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement or other agreement or instrument to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or by which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is bound or to which any property or asset of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is subject; or (iii) in violation of any law or statute or any judgment, order, rule or regulation of any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority, except, in the case of clauses (ii) and (iii) above, for any such default or violation that would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Change.
(u) No Material Actions or Proceedings. There are no legal, governmental or regulatory investigations, actions, demands, claims, suits, arbitrations, inquiries or proceedings (“Actions”) pending to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is or may reasonably be expected to become a party or to which any property of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is or may be the subject that, individually or in the aggregate, if determined adversely to the Company or any of its subsidiaries, could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Change; to the knowledge of the Company, no such Actions are threatened or contemplated by any governmental or regulatory authority or threatened by others; and (i) there are no current or pending Actions that are required under the Securities Act to be described in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus that are not so described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus and (ii) there are no statutes, regulations or contracts or other documents that are required under the Securities Act to be filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement or described in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus that are not so filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement or described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus.
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(v) Title to Real and Personal Property. The Company has good and marketable title in fee simple (in the case of real property) to, or have valid rights to lease or otherwise use, all items of real and personal property that are material to the respective businesses of the Company and its subsidiaries, in each case free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, claims and defects and imperfections of title except those that (i) do not materially interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such property by the Company and its subsidiaries or (ii) could not reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to result in a Material Adverse Change.
(w) Licenses and Permits. The Company and its subsidiaries possess all licenses, sub-licenses, certificates, permits and other authorizations issued by, and have made all declarations and filings with, the appropriate federal, state, local or foreign governmental or regulatory authorities that are necessary for the ownership or lease of their respective properties or the conduct of their respective businesses as described in each of the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, including, without limitation, from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (the “FDA”), except where the failure to possess or make the same would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Change; and except as described in each of the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received notice of any revocation or modification of any such license, sub-license, certificate, permit or authorization or has any reason to believe that any such license, sub-license, certificate, permit or authorization will not be renewed in the ordinary course, except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Change.
(x) No Labor Disputes. (i) No labor disturbance by or dispute with employees of the Company or any of its subsidiaries exists or, to the knowledge of the Company, is contemplated or threatened, and (ii) the Company is not aware of any existing or imminent labor disturbance by, or dispute with, the employees of any of its or its subsidiaries’ principal suppliers, contractors or customers, except in the case of each of (i) and (ii) above, as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Change. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is a party to any collective bargaining agreement.
(y) Tax Law Compliance. The Company and its subsidiaries have filed all U.S. federal, state, local and foreign taxes required to be filed through the date hereof (except where the failure to file would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Change) and have paid all taxes required to be paid thereon (except where the failure to pay would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Change, and except as are currently being contested in good faith and for which reserves required by GAAP have been created in the financial statements of the Company); and except as otherwise disclosed in each of the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, there is no tax deficiency that has been determined adversely to the Company or any of its subsidiaries which has resulted in (nor does the Company nor any of its subsidiaries have any notice or knowledge of any tax deficiency which is expected to be determined adversely to the Company or its subsidiaries and which could reasonably be expected to result in) a Material Adverse Change.
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(z) Compliance with ERISA. (i) Each employee benefit plan, within the meaning of Section 3(3) of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (“ERISA”), for which the Company or any member of its “Controlled Group” (defined as any entity, whether or not incorporated, that is under common control with the Company within the meaning of Section 4001(a)(14) of ERISA or any entity that would be regarded as a single employer with the Company under Section 414(b),(c),(m) or (o) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”)) would have any liability (each, a “Plan”) has been maintained in compliance with its terms and the requirements of any applicable statutes, orders, rules and regulations, including but not limited to ERISA and the Code; (ii) no prohibited transaction, within the meaning of Section 406 of ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code, has occurred with respect to any Plan, excluding transactions effected pursuant to a statutory or administrative exemption; (iii) for each Plan that is subject to the funding rules of Section 412 of the Code or Section 302 of ERISA, no Plan has failed (whether or not waived), or is reasonably expected to fail, to satisfy the minimum funding standards (within the meaning of Section 302 of ERISA or Section 412 of the Code) applicable to such Plan; (iv) no Plan is, or is reasonably expected to be, in “at risk status” (within the meaning of Section 303(i) of ERISA) and no Plan that is a “multiemployer plan” within the meaning of Section 4001(a)(3) of ERISA is in “endangered status” or “critical status” (within the meaning of Sections 304 and 305 of ERISA) (v) the fair market value of the assets of each Plan exceeds the present value of all benefits accrued under such Plan (determined based on those assumptions used to fund such Plan); (vi) no “reportable event” (within the meaning of Section 4043(c) of ERISA and the regulations promulgated thereunder) has occurred or is reasonably expected to occur; (vii) each Plan that is intended to be qualified under Section 401(a) of the Code has received a favorable determination letter, or is entitled to rely on an opinion letter, from the Internal Revenue Service, and, to the knowledge of the Company, nothing has occurred, whether by action or by failure to act, which would cause the loss of such qualification; (viii) neither the Company nor any member of the Controlled Group has incurred, nor reasonably expects to incur, any liability under Title IV of ERISA (other than contributions to the Plan or premiums to the Pension Benefit Guarantee Corporation, in the ordinary course and without default) in respect of a Plan (including a “multiemployer plan” within the meaning of Section 4001(a)(3) of ERISA); and (ix) none of the following events has occurred or is reasonably likely to occur: (A) a material increase in the aggregate amount of contributions required to be made to all Plans by the Company or its Controlled Group affiliates in the current fiscal year of the Company and its Controlled Group affiliates compared to the amount of such contributions made in the Company’s and its Controlled Group affiliates’ most recently completed fiscal year; or (B) a material increase in the Company and its subsidiaries’ “accumulated post-retirement benefit obligations” (within the meaning of Accounting Standards Codification Topic 715-60) compared to the amount of such obligations in the Company and its subsidiaries’ most recently completed fiscal year, except in each case with respect to the events or conditions set forth in (i) through (ix) hereof, as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result a Material Adverse Change.
(aa) Company Not an “Investment Company”. The Company has been advised of the rules and requirements under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment Company Act”). The Company is not, and after receipt of payment for the Placement Shares will not be, an “investment company” within the meaning of Investment Company Act.
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(bb) Insurance. The Company and its subsidiaries have insurance covering their respective properties, operations, personnel and businesses, including business interruption insurance, which insurance is in amounts and insures against such losses and risks as generally maintained by similarly situated companies and which the Company believes are reasonably adequate to protect the Company and its subsidiaries and their respective businesses; and neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has (i) received notice from any insurer or agent of such insurer that capital improvements or other expenditures are required or necessary to be made in order to continue such insurance or (ii) any reason to believe that it will not be able to renew its existing insurance coverage as and when such coverage expires or to obtain similar coverage at reasonable cost from similar insurers as may be necessary to continue its business.
(cc) No Price Stabilization or Manipulation. Neither the Company or any of its subsidiaries nor, to the Company’s knowledge, other affiliates has taken, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that could be reasonably expected to cause or result in stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Placement Shares.
(dd) Related Party Transactions. No relationship, direct or indirect, exists between or among the Company or any of its subsidiaries, on the one hand, and the directors, officers, stockholders, customers, suppliers or other affiliates of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, on the other, that is required by the Securities Act to be described in the Prospectus that is not so described.
(ee) No Restrictions on Subsidiaries. No subsidiary of the Company is currently prohibited, directly or indirectly, under any agreement or other instrument to which it is a party or is subject, from paying any dividends to the Company, from making any other distribution on such subsidiary’s capital stock or similar ownership interest, from repaying to the Company any loans or advances to such subsidiary from the Company or from transferring any of such subsidiary’s properties or assets to the Company or any other subsidiary of the Company.
(ff) Exchange Act Compliance. The documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Prospectus, at the time they were or hereafter are filed with the Commission, complied and will comply in all material respects with the requirements of the Exchange Act, and, when read together with the other information in the Prospectus, at the Settlement Dates, will not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.
(gg) No Unlawful Contributions or Other Payments. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries nor any director, officer or employee of the Company or any of its subsidiaries nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any agent, affiliate or other person associated with or acting on behalf of the Company or any of its subsidiaries has (i) used any corporate funds for any unlawful contribution, gift, entertainment or other unlawful expense relating to political activity; (ii) made or taken an act in furtherance of an offer, promise or authorization of any direct or indirect unlawful payment or benefit to any foreign or domestic government official or employee, including of any government-owned or controlled entity or of a public international organization, or any person acting in an official capacity for or on behalf of any of the foregoing, or any political party or party official or candidate for political office; (iii) violated or is in violation of any provision of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended, or any applicable law or regulation implementing the OECD Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions, or committed an offence under the Bribery Act 2010 of the United Kingdom or any other applicable anti-bribery or anti-corruption law; or (iv) made, offered, agreed, requested or taken an act in furtherance of any unlawful bribe or other unlawful benefit, including, without limitation, any rebate, payoff, influence payment, kickback or other unlawful or improper payment or benefit. The Company and its subsidiaries have instituted, maintain and enforce, and will continue to maintain and enforce policies and procedures designed to promote and ensure compliance with all applicable anti-bribery and anti-corruption laws.
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(hh) Compliance with Anti-Money Laundering Laws. The operations of the Company and its subsidiaries are and have been conducted at all times in compliance with applicable financial recordkeeping and reporting requirements, including those of the Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act of 1970, as amended, the U.S. Bank Secrecy Act, as amended by Title III of the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001 (USA PATRIOT Act), and the applicable money laundering statutes of all jurisdictions where the Company or any of its subsidiaries conducts business, the rules and regulations thereunder and any related or similar rules, regulations or guidelines issued, administered or enforced by any governmental agency (collectively, the “Anti-Money Laundering Laws”) and no action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving the Company or any of its subsidiaries with respect to the Anti-Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened.
(ii) No Conflicts with Sanctions Laws. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries, directors, officers, or employees, nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any agent, affiliate or other person associated with or acting on behalf of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is currently the subject or the target of any sanctions administered or enforced by the U.S. government, (including, without limitation, the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Department of the Treasury (“OFAC”) or the U.S. Department of State and including, without limitation, the designation as a “specially designated national” or “blocked person”), the United Nations Security Council (“UNSC”), the European Union, HM Treasury (“HMT”) or other relevant sanctions authority (collectively, “Sanctions”), nor is the Company or any of its subsidiaries located, organized or resident in a country or territory that is the subject or target of Sanctions broadly prohibiting dealings with such country or territory, including, without limitation, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Sudan, Syria, the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic, the so-called Luhansk People’s Republic, any other Covered Region of Ukraine identified pursuant to Executive Order 14065 and Crimea (each, a “Sanctioned Country”); and the Company will not directly or indirectly use the proceeds of the offering of the Placement Shares hereunder, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any subsidiary, joint venture partner or other person or entity (i) to fund or facilitate any activities of or business with any person that, at the time of such funding or facilitation, is the subject or target of Sanctions except to the extent permitted for a Person required to comply with Sanctions, (ii) to fund or facilitate any activities of or business in any Sanctioned Country or (iii) in any other manner that will result in a violation by any person (including any person participating in the transaction, whether as underwriter, advisor, investor or otherwise) of Sanctions. For the past five years, the Company and its subsidiaries have not knowingly engaged in and are not now knowingly engaged in any dealings or transactions with any person that at the time of the dealing or transaction is or was the subject or the target of Sanctions prohibiting such dealing or transaction or with any Sanctioned Country.
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(jj) Accounting Controls. The Company and its subsidiaries maintain systems of “internal control over financial reporting” (as defined in Rule 13a-15(f) of the Exchange Act) that are designed to comply with the applicable requirements of the Exchange Act and have been designed by, or under the supervision of, their respective principal executive and principal financial officers, or persons performing similar functions, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with GAAP. The Company and its subsidiaries maintain internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurance that (i) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorizations; (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP and to maintain asset accountability; (iii) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; and (iv) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with the existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, there are no material weaknesses in the Company’s internal controls. The Company’s auditors and the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors of the Company have been advised of: (i) all significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal controls over financial reporting which have adversely affected or are reasonably likely to adversely affect the Company’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and (ii) any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the Company’s internal controls over financial reporting.
(kk) Disclosure Controls. The Company and its subsidiaries maintain an effective system of “disclosure controls and procedures” (as defined in Rule 13a-15(e) of the Exchange Act) that complies with the requirements of the Exchange Act and that has been designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Company in reports that it files or submits under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the Commission’s rules and forms, including controls and procedures designed to ensure that such information is accumulated and communicated to the Company’s management as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.
(ll) Compliance with Environmental Laws. The Company and its subsidiaries (x) are in compliance with all, and have not violated any, applicable federal, state, local and foreign laws, rules, regulations, requirements, decisions, judgments, decrees, orders and other legally enforceable requirements relating to pollution or the protection of human health or safety, the environment, natural resources, hazardous or toxic substances or wastes, pollutants or contaminants (collectively, “Environmental Laws”); (y) have received and are in compliance with all, and have not violated any, permits, licenses, certificates or other authorizations or approvals required of them under any Environmental Laws to conduct their respective businesses; and (z) have not received notice of any actual or potential liability or obligation under or relating to, or any actual or potential violation of, any Environmental Laws, including for the investigation or remediation of any disposal or release of hazardous or toxic substances or wastes, pollutants or contaminants, and have no knowledge of any event or condition that would reasonably be expected to result in any such notice; (ii) there are no costs or liabilities associated with Environmental Laws of or relating to the Company or its subsidiaries, except in the case of each of (i) and (ii) above, for any such matter as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Change; and (iii) except as described in the Prospectus, (x) there is no proceeding that is pending, or that is known by the Company to be contemplated, against the Company or any of its subsidiaries under any Environmental Laws in which a governmental entity is also a party, other than such proceeding regarding which is the Company reasonably believes no monetary sanctions of $100,000 or more will be imposed, (y) the Company and its subsidiaries are not aware of any facts or issues regarding compliance with Environmental Laws, or liabilities or other obligations under Environmental Laws or concerning hazardous or toxic substances or wastes, pollutants or contaminants, that would reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Change, and (z) none of the Company or its subsidiaries anticipates material capital expenditures relating to any Environmental Laws.
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(mm) Intellectual Property. Except as otherwise described in the Prospectus (i) the Company and its subsidiaries own or have the right to use all patent applications, patents, trademarks, trademark registrations, trademark applications, service marks, service mark registrations, service mark applications, trade names, service names, Internet domain names and other source indicators, copyrights, copyright registrations, copyrightable works, databases, formulae, know-how, trade secrets, systems, procedures, proprietary or confidential information and all other intellectual property, industrial property and proprietary rights (including other unpatented and/or unpatentable proprietary confidential information, systems, or procedures), and all goodwill associated with any of the foregoing (collectively, “Intellectual Property”), in each case used or held for use in, or necessary for the conduct of their respective businesses as conducted or proposed to be conducted in the Prospectus; (ii) to the Company’s knowledge, the Company’s and its subsidiaries’ conduct of their respective businesses as currently conducted or as proposed to be conducted in the Prospectus does not infringe, misappropriate or otherwise violate, and has not infringed, misappropriated, or otherwise violated, any valid and enforceable Intellectual Property of any third party; (iii) there is no pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened action, suit, proceeding or claim by any third party (A) alleging that the Company or any of its subsidiaries has infringed, misappropriated or otherwise violated the Intellectual Property rights of any third party, or (B) challenging the inventorship, ownership, validity, scope or enforceability of, or any rights of the Company or any of its subsidiaries in, any Intellectual Property owned by or licensed to the Company or any of its subsidiaries; (iv) no Intellectual Property owned by or exclusively licensed to the Company or any of its subsidiaries has been adjudged invalid or unenforceable and, to the Company’s knowledge, all such Intellectual Property is valid and enforceable; (v) to the knowledge of the Company, no third party has infringed, misappropriated or otherwise violated any Intellectual Property owned by or exclusively licensed to the Company or any of its subsidiaries; (vi) the Company and its subsidiaries have at all times taken reasonable steps in accordance with normal industry practice to maintain confidentiality of all Intellectual Property whose value to the Company or its subsidiaries is contingent upon maintaining the confidentiality thereof, including by requiring employees, contractors, consultants and other third parties who receive such Intellectual Property to execute appropriate agreements to maintain such confidentiality; and (vii) all current and former employees and consultants and other parties involved in the development of Intellectual Property for the Company or any of its subsidiaries have signed agreements with the Company or its subsidiaries, pursuant to which the Company or its subsidiaries either (A) have obtained ownership of and are the exclusive owners of such Intellectual Property, or (B) have obtained a valid right to exploit such Intellectual Property, sufficient for the conduct of their respective businesses as currently conducted or as proposed to be conducted in the Prospectus.
(nn) Listing. The Company is subject to and in compliance in all material respects with the reporting requirements of Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act. The Common Stock is registered pursuant to Section 12(b) or Section 12(g) of the Exchange Act and is listed on Nasdaq, and the Company has taken no action designed to, or reasonably likely to have the effect of, terminating the registration of the Common Stock under the Exchange Act or delisting the Common Stock from the Exchange, nor has the Company received any notification that the Commission or Nasdaq is contemplating terminating such registration or listing. All of the Placement Shares that have been or may be sold under this Agreement have been approved for listing on Nasdaq; the Company has taken all necessary actions to ensure that, upon and at all times after Nasdaq shall have approved the Placement Shares for listing, it will be in compliance with all applicable corporate governance requirements set forth in Nasdaq’s listing rules that are then in effect.
(oo) Brokers. Except for the Agent, there is no broker, finder or other party that is entitled to receive from the Company or any of its subsidiaries any brokerage or finder’s fee or other fee or commission as a result of any transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
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(pp) No Outstanding Loans or Other Indebtedness. Except as described in the Prospectus, there are no outstanding loans, advances (except normal advances for business expenses in the ordinary course of business) or guarantees or indebtedness by the Company to or for the benefit of any of the officers or directors of the Company or any of the members of any of them.
(qq) No Reliance. The Company has not relied upon the Agent or legal counsel for the Agent for any legal, tax or accounting advice in connection with the offering and sale of the Placement Shares.
(rr) FINRA Exemption. The Company qualifies as an “experienced issuer” (within the meaning of Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) Conduct Rule 5110(j)(6)) for purposes of the exemption from filing under FINRA Conduct Rule 5110(h)(1)(C).
(ss) Compliance with Laws. The Company has not been advised, and has no reason to believe, that it and each of its subsidiaries are not conducting business in compliance with all applicable laws, rules and regulations of the jurisdictions in which it is conducting business, except where failure to be so in compliance would not result in a Material Adverse Change.
(tt) Privacy Laws. The Company and its subsidiaries are presently in compliance with and, to their knowledge have complied with, all applicable laws or statutes (including without limitation, to the extent applicable, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, as amended by the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act, the California Consumer Privacy Act and the European Union General Data Protection Regulation) and all applicable judgments, orders, rules and regulations of any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority, approved final versions of internal and external policies, and contractual obligations relating to the privacy and security of IT Systems and the collection, use, transfer, import, export, storage, disposal and disclosure of Personal Data and to the protection of such IT Systems and Personal Data from unauthorized use, access, misappropriation or modification (“Data Security Obligations”); (ii) neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries have received any notification of or complaint regarding any non-compliance with any Data Security Obligation; (iii) there is no pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened, action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body alleging non-compliance with any Data Security Obligation; and (iv) the Company and its subsidiaries have made all disclosures as required by applicable laws and regulatory rules or requirements in connection with such Data Security Obligations, and no such disclosures have been inaccurate or in violation of any applicable laws or regulatory rules and requirements, except in the case of each of (i)-(iv) above, for any such matter as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result a Material Adverse Change.
(uu) IT Systems. The Company and its subsidiaries’ information technology assets and equipment, computers, systems, networks, hardware, software, websites, applications, and databases owned or used by the Company or its subsidiaries (collectively, “IT Systems”) are adequate for, and operate and perform in all material respects as required in connection with the operation of the business of the Company and its subsidiaries as currently conducted and as proposed to be conducted in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, free and clear of all material bugs, errors, defects, Trojan horses, time bombs, malware and other corruptants. The Company and its subsidiaries have implemented and maintained commercially reasonable controls, policies, procedures, and safeguards to maintain and protect their material confidential information and the integrity, continuous operation, redundancy and security of all IT Systems and data (including all personal, personally identifiable, sensitive, confidential or regulated data (“Personal Data”)) collected, used, stored or processed in connection with their businesses, and, to the Company’s knowledge, there have been no breaches, violations, outages or unauthorized uses of or accesses to same, except for those that have been remedied without material cost or liability or the duty to notify any other person or entity, nor any incidents under internal review or investigations relating to the same.
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(vv) Export and Import Laws. Each of the Company and the Subsidiaries, and, to the Company’s knowledge, each of their affiliates and any director, officer, agent or employee of, or other person associated with or acting on behalf of, the Company has acted at all times in compliance with applicable Export and Import Laws (as defined below) and there are no claims, complaints, charges, investigations or proceedings pending or expected or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened between the Company or any of the Subsidiaries and any Governmental Authority under any Export or Import Laws. The term “Export and Import Laws” means the Arms Export Control Act, the International Traffic in Arms Regulations, the Export Administration Act of 1979, as amended, the Export Administration Regulations, and all other laws and regulations of the United States government regulating the provision of services to non-U.S. parties or the export and import of articles or information from and to the United States of America, and all similar laws and regulations of any foreign government regulating the provision of services to parties not of the foreign country or the export and import of articles and information from and to the foreign country to parties not of the foreign country.
(ww) Margin Rules. Neither the issuance, sale and delivery of the Placement Shares nor the application of the proceeds thereof by the Company as described in the Prospectus will violate Regulation T, U or X of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System or any other regulation of such Board of Governors.
(xx) Forward-Looking Statements. No forward-looking statement (within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Exchange Act) included in any of the Registration Statement or the Prospectus has been made or reaffirmed without a reasonable basis or has been disclosed other than in good faith.
(yy) Statistical and Market Data. Nothing has come to the attention of the Company that has caused the Company to believe that the statistical and market-related data included in or incorporated by reference in each of the Registration Statement and the Prospectus is not based on or derived from sources that are reliable and accurate in all material respects, and, to the extent required by such sources, the Company has obtained the written consent to the use of such data from such sources.
(zz) Sarbanes-Oxley Act. There is and has been no failure on the part of the Company or any of the Company’s directors or officers, in their capacities as such, to comply with any applicable provision of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, as amended and the rules and regulations promulgated in connection therewith (the “Sarbanes-Oxley Act”), including Section 402 related to loans and Sections 302 and 906 relating to certifications.
(aaa) Clinical Trials. The clinical and pre-clinical trials conducted by or on behalf of or sponsored by the Company or any of its subsidiaries, or in which the Company or any of its subsidiaries has participated, that are described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, or the results of which are referred to in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, as applicable, were, and if still pending are, being conducted in accordance with standard medical and scientific research standards and procedures and all applicable statutes, rules and regulations of the FDA and other applicable regulatory authorities (collectively, the “Regulatory Authorities”) and current Good Clinical Practices and Good Laboratory Practices; the descriptions in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus of the results of such studies and tests are accurate and complete and fairly present the data derived from such trials; neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has any knowledge of any other trials, the results of which are inconsistent with or call into question the results described or referred to in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus; the Company and each of its subsidiaries have operated at all times and are currently in compliance in all material respects with all applicable statutes, rules and regulations of the Regulatory Authorities; neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received any written notices, correspondence or other communications from the Regulatory Authorities or any other governmental agency requiring or threatening the termination, modification or suspension of any clinical or pre-clinical trials that are described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus or the results of which are referred to in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, and, to the knowledge of the Company and its subsidiaries, there are no reasonable grounds for the same.
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(bbb) Regulatory Filings. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has failed to file with the applicable Regulatory Authorities any required filing, declaration, listing, registration, report or submission; all such filings, declarations, listings, registrations, reports or submissions were in compliance with applicable laws when filed; and no deficiencies have been asserted by any applicable Regulatory Authority with respect to any such filings, declarations, listings, registrations, reports or submissions.
Any certificate signed by an officer of the Company and delivered to the Agent or to counsel for the Agent pursuant to or in connection with this Agreement shall be deemed to be a representation and warranty by the Company to the Agent as to the matters set forth therein.
The Company acknowledges that the Agent and, for purposes of the opinions to be delivered pursuant to Section 7 hereof, counsel to the Company and counsel to the Agent, will rely upon the accuracy and truthfulness of the foregoing representations and hereby consents to such reliance.
7. Covenants of the Company. The Company covenants and agrees with the Agent that:
(a) Registration Statement Amendments. After the date of this Agreement and during any period in which a Prospectus relating to any Placement Shares is required to be delivered by the Agent under the Securities Act (including in circumstances where such requirement may be satisfied pursuant to Rule 172 under the Securities Act), (i) the Company will notify the Agent promptly of the time when any subsequent amendment to the Registration Statement, other than documents incorporated by reference, has been filed with the Commission and/or has become effective or any subsequent supplement to the Prospectus has been filed and of any request by the Commission for any amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement or Prospectus or for additional information, (ii) the Company will prepare and file with the Commission, promptly upon the Agent’s request, any amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement or Prospectus that, in the Agent’s reasonable opinion, may be necessary or advisable in connection with the distribution of the Placement Shares by the Agent (provided, however, that the failure of the Agent to make such request shall not relieve the Company of any obligation or liability hereunder, or affect the Agent’s right to rely on the representations and warranties made by the Company in this Agreement, provided, further, that the only remedy the Agent shall have with respect to the failure by the Company to make such a filing (other than the Agent’s rights under Section 9 hereof) shall be to cease making sales under this Agreement until such amendment or supplement is filed); (iii) the Company will not file any amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement or Prospectus, other than documents incorporated by reference, relating to the Placement Shares or a security convertible into the Placement Shares unless a copy thereof has been submitted to the Agent within a reasonable period of time before the filing and the Agent has not reasonably objected thereto (provided, however, that the failure of the Agent to make such objection shall not relieve the Company of any obligation or liability hereunder, or affect the Agent’s right to rely on the representations and warranties made by the Company in this Agreement) and the Company will furnish to the Agent at the time of filing thereof a copy of any document that upon filing is deemed to be incorporated by reference into the Registration Statement or Prospectus, except for those documents available via EDGAR; (iv) the Company will cause each amendment or supplement to the Prospectus, other than documents incorporated by reference, to be filed with the Commission as required pursuant to the applicable paragraph of Rule 424(b) of the Securities Act, and (v) prior to the termination of this Agreement, the Company will notify the Agent if at any time the Registration Statement shall no longer be effective as a result of the passage of time pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act or otherwise. Prior to the initial sale of any Placement Shares, the Company shall file a final Prospectus Supplement pursuant to Rule 424(b) relating to the Placement Shares.
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(b) Notice of Commission Stop Orders. The Company will advise the Agent, promptly after it receives notice or obtains knowledge thereof, of the issuance or threatened issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, of the suspension of the qualification of the Placement Shares for offering or sale in any jurisdiction, or of the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for any such purpose; and it will promptly use its commercially reasonable efforts to prevent the issuance of any stop order or to obtain its withdrawal if such a stop order should be issued. The Company will advise the Agent promptly after it receives any request by the Commission for any amendments to the Registration Statement or any amendment or supplements to the Prospectus or for additional information related to the offering of the Placement Shares or for additional information related to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus.
(c) Delivery of Prospectus; Subsequent Changes. During any period in which a Prospectus relating to the Placement Shares is required to be delivered by the Agent under the Securities Act with respect to a pending sale of the Placement Shares, (including in circumstances where such requirement may be satisfied pursuant to Rule 172 under the Securities Act), the Company will comply with all requirements imposed upon it by the Securities Act, as from time to time in force, and to file on or before their respective due dates all reports and any definitive proxy or information statements required to be filed by the Company with the Commission pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14, 15(d) or any other provision of or under the Exchange Act. If during such period any event occurs as a result of which the Prospectus as then amended or supplemented would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances then existing, not misleading, or if during such period it is necessary to amend or supplement the Registration Statement or Prospectus to comply with the Securities Act, the Company will promptly notify the Agent to suspend the offering of Placement Shares during such period and the Company will promptly amend or supplement the Registration Statement or Prospectus (at the expense of the Company) so as to correct such statement or omission or effect such compliance.
(d) Listing of Placement Shares. During any period in which the Prospectus relating to the Placement Shares is required to be delivered by the Agent under the Securities Act with respect to a pending sale of the Placement Shares (including in circumstances where such requirement may be satisfied pursuant to Rule 172 under the Securities Act), the Company will use its commercially reasonable efforts to cause the Placement Shares to be listed on Nasdaq and to qualify the Placement Shares for sale under the securities laws of such jurisdictions as the Agent reasonably designates and to continue such qualifications in effect so long as required for the distribution of the Placement Shares; provided, however, that the Company shall not be required in connection therewith to qualify as a foreign corporation or dealer in securities or file a general consent to service of process in any jurisdiction.
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(e) Delivery of Registration Statement and Prospectus. The Company will furnish to the Agent and its counsel (at the expense of the Company) copies of the Registration Statement, the Prospectus (including all documents incorporated by reference therein) and all amendments and supplements to the Registration Statement or Prospectus that are filed with the Commission during any period in which a Prospectus relating to the Placement Shares is required to be delivered under the Securities Act (including all documents filed with the Commission during such period that are deemed to be incorporated by reference therein), in each case as soon as reasonably practicable and in such quantities as the Agent may from time to time reasonably request and, at the Agent’s request, will also furnish copies of the Prospectus to each exchange or market on which sales of the Placement Shares may be made; provided, however, that the Company shall not be required to furnish any document (other than the Prospectus) to the Agent to the extent such document is available on EDGAR.
(f) Earnings Statement. The Company will make generally available to its security holders as soon as practicable, but in any event not later than 15 months after the end of the Company’s current fiscal quarter, an earnings statement covering a 12-month period that satisfies the provisions of Section 11(a) and Rule 158 of the Securities Act.
(g) Expenses. The Company, whether or not the transactions contemplated hereunder are consummated or this Agreement is terminated, in accordance with the provisions of Section 11 hereunder, will pay the following expenses all incident to the performance of its obligations hereunder, including, but not limited to, expenses relating to (i) the preparation, printing and filing of the Registration Statement and each amendment and supplement thereto, of each Prospectus and of each amendment and supplement thereto, (ii) the preparation, issuance and delivery of the Placement Shares, including any stamp duties, similar taxes or duties or other taxes, if any, incurred by the Agent in connection with issuance and sale of Placement Shares, (iii) the qualification of the Placement Shares under securities laws in accordance with the provisions of Section 7(d) of this Agreement, including filing fees (provided, however, that any fees or disbursements of counsel for the Agent in connection therewith shall be paid by the Agent except as set forth in (vii) below), (iv) the printing and delivery to the Agent of copies of the Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto, and of this Agreement, (v) the fees and expenses incurred in connection with the listing or qualification of the Placement Shares for trading on Nasdaq, (vi) the filing fees and expenses, if any, of the Commission, (vii) the filing fees and associated legal expenses of the Agent’s outside counsel for filings with the FINRA Corporate Financing Department, such legal expense reimbursement not to exceed $25,000 and, (viii) the reasonable fees and disbursements of the Agent’s counsel in the amount of (a) $75,000 for the initial preparation of documents; (b) $50,000 for any delivery of documents in connection with an annual report on Form 10-K or for which a disclosure letter has not previously been delivered in connection with a given annual report on Form 10-K; and (c) $25,000 for any delivery of documents in connection with a quarterly report on Form 10-Q or for which a disclosure letter has not previously been delivered in connection with a given quarterly report on Form 10-Q.
(h) Use of Proceeds. The Company will use the Net Proceeds as described in the Prospectus in the section entitled “Use of Proceeds.”
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(i) Notice of Other Sales. During the pendency of any Placement Notice given hereunder, and for five (5) Trading Days following the termination of any Placement Notice given hereunder, the Company shall provide the Agent notice as promptly as reasonably possible before it offers to sell, contracts to sell, sells, grants any option to sell or otherwise disposes of any shares of Common Stock (other than Placement Shares offered pursuant to the provisions of this Agreement) or securities convertible into or exchangeable for Common Stock, warrants or any rights to purchase or acquire Common Stock; provided, that such notice shall not be required in connection with the (i) issuance, grant or sale of Common Stock, options to purchase shares of Common Stock or Common Stock issuable upon the exercise of options or other equity awards pursuant to any equity incentive plan, stock option, stock bonus or other stock plan or arrangement whether now in effect or hereafter implemented, including pursuant to any qualifying inducement award under Nasdaq rules (and the issuance by the Company of shares of Common Stock upon the exercise or vesting thereof), (ii) the issuance of securities in connection with an acquisition, merger or sale or purchase of assets, (iii) the issuance or sale of Common Stock pursuant to any dividend reinvestment plan that the Company may adopt from time to time provided the implementation of such is disclosed to the Agent in advance or (iv) any shares of common stock issuable upon the exchange, conversion or redemption of securities or the exercise of warrants, options or other rights in effect or outstanding as disclosed in filings by the Company available on EDGAR, or (v) the issuance of Common Stock, securities convertible into or exercisable for Common Stock or other securities offered and sold in a privately negotiated transaction to vendors, customers, strategic partners or other investors conducted or in connection with a transaction that includes a commercial relationship (including joint ventures, marketing or distribution arrangements, collaboration agreements or intellectual property license agreements) in a manner so as not to be integrated with the offering of the Placement Shares hereby. For the avoidance of doubt, nothing herein shall be construed to restrict the Company’s ability, or require the Company to provide notice to the Agent, to file a registration statement with the Commission.
(j) Change of Circumstances. The Company will, at any time during a fiscal quarter in which the Company intends to tender a Placement Notice or sell Placement Shares, advise the Agent promptly after it shall have received notice or obtained knowledge thereof, of any information or fact that would alter or affect in any material respect any opinion, certificate, letter or other document provided to the Agent pursuant to this Agreement.
(k) Due Diligence Cooperation. The Company will cooperate with any reasonable due diligence review conducted by the Agent or its agents in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby, including, without limitation, providing information and making available documents and senior corporate officers, during regular business hours and at the Company’s principal offices, as the Agent may reasonably request.
(l) Required Filings Relating to Placement of Placement Shares. The Company agrees that on such dates as the Securities Act shall require, the Company will (i) file a prospectus supplement with the Commission under the applicable paragraph of Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act (each and every filing under Rule 424(b), a “Filing Date”), and (ii) deliver such number of copies of each such prospectus supplement to each exchange or market on which such sales were effected as may be required by the rules or regulations of such exchange or market. The Company shall disclose in its quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and in its annual report on Form 10-K, the number of the Placement Shares sold through the Agent under this Agreement, and the gross proceeds and Net Proceeds to the Company from the sale of the Placement Shares and the compensation paid by the Company with respect to sales of the Placement Shares pursuant to this Agreement during the relevant quarter or, in the case of an Annual Report on Form 10-K, during the fiscal year covered by such Annual Report and the fourth quarter of such fiscal year.
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(m) Bring-Down Dates; Certificate. On or prior to the First Delivery Date and each time (i) the Company files the Prospectus relating to the Placement Shares or amends or supplements the Registration Statement or the Prospectus relating to the Placement Shares (other than a prospectus supplement filed in accordance with Section 7(l) of this Agreement) by means of a post-effective amendment, sticker, or supplement but not by means of incorporation of document(s) by reference to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus relating to the Placement Shares; (ii) the Company files an annual report on Form 10-K under the Exchange Act; (iii) the Company files its quarterly reports on Form 10-Q under the Exchange Act; or (iv) the Company files a current report on Form 8-K containing amended financial information (other than an earnings release or other information “furnished” pursuant to Items 2.02 or 7.01 of Form 8-K) under the Exchange Act and the Agent reasonably determines that the information contained in such report on Form 8-K is material (each date of filing of one or more of the documents referred to in clauses (i) through (iv) shall be a "Bring-Down Date"); the Company shall furnish the Agent with a certificate, in the form attached hereto as Exhibit 7(m) within three (3) Trading Days of any Bring-Down Date if requested by the Agent. The requirement to provide a certificate under this Section 7(m) shall be waived for any Bring-Down Date occurring at a time at which no Placement Notice is pending, which waiver shall continue until the earlier to occur of the date the Company delivers a Placement Notice hereunder (which for such calendar quarter shall be considered a Bring-Down Date) and the next occurring Bring-Down Date; provided, however, that such waiver shall not apply for any Bring-Down Date on which the Company files its annual report on Form 10-K. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Company subsequently decides to sell Placement Shares following a Bring-Down Date when the Company relied on such waiver and did not provide the Agent with a certificate under this Section 7(m), then before the Company delivers the Placement Notice or the Agent sells any Placement Shares, the Company shall provide the Agent with a certificate, in the form attached hereto as Exhibit 7(m), dated the date of the Placement Notice.
(n) Legal Opinion. On or prior to the First Delivery Date and within three Trading Days of each Bring-Down Date with respect to which the Company is obligated to deliver a certificate in the form attached hereto as Exhibit 7(m) for which no waiver is applicable, the Company shall cause to be furnished to the Agent a written opinion (the “Corporate Legal Opinion”) and negative assurance letter of Cooley LLP (“Company Counsel”), or other counsel satisfactory to the Agent, each in form and substance satisfactory to the Agent and its counsel, dated the date that the opinion and negative assurance letter are required to be delivered, modified, as necessary, to relate to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus as then amended or supplemented; provided, however, that in lieu of such opinion and/or negative assurance letter for subsequent Bring-Down Dates, counsel may furnish the Agent with a letter (a “Reliance Letter”) to the effect that the Agent may rely on a prior opinion and/or negative assurance letter delivered under this Section 7(n) to the same extent as if it were dated the date of such letter (except that statements in such prior opinion and/or negative assurance letter shall be deemed to relate to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus as amended or supplemented at such Bring-Down Date).
(o) Intellectual Property Opinion. If requested by the Agent, on or prior to the First Delivery Date and no more than once per fiscal year, provided that the Company is obligated to deliver a certificate in the form attached hereto as Exhibit 7(m) for which no waiver is applicable, the Company shall cause to be furnished to the Agent the written opinion of Choate, Hall & Stewart LLP, counsel for the Company with respect to intellectual property matters, or such other intellectual property counsel satisfactory to the Agent (“Intellectual Property Counsel”), in form and substance satisfactory to the Agent and its counsel, dated the date that the opinion letter is required to be delivered, modified, as necessary, to relate to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus as then amended or supplemented; provided, however, that in lieu of such written opinion for subsequent Representation Dates, Intellectual Property Counsel may furnish the Agent with a letter to the effect that the Agent may rely on a prior opinion letter delivered by such counsel under this Section 7(o) to the same extent as if it were dated the date of such opinion letter (except that statements in such prior opinion letter shall be deemed to relate to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus as amended or supplemented at such Representation Date).
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(p) Comfort Letter. On or prior to the First Delivery Date and within three Trading Days of each Bring-Down Date with respect to which the Company is obligated to deliver a certificate in the form attached hereto as Exhibit 7(m) for which no waiver is applicable, the Company shall cause its independent accountants to furnish the Agent letters (the "Comfort Letters"), dated the date the Comfort Letter is delivered, in form and substance satisfactory to the Agent, (i) confirming that they are an independent registered public accounting firm within the meaning of the Securities Act and the PCAOB, (ii) stating, as of such date, the conclusions and findings of such firm with respect to the financial information and other matters ordinarily covered by accountants’ “comfort letters” to the Agent in connection with registered public offerings (the first such letter, the “Initial Comfort Letter”) and (iii) updating the Initial Comfort Letter with any information that would have been included in the Initial Comfort Letter had it been given on such date and modified as necessary to relate to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, as amended and supplemented to the date of such letter.
(q) Market Activities. The Company will not, directly or indirectly, (i) take any action designed to cause or result in, or that constitutes or might reasonably be expected to constitute, the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Placement Shares or (ii) sell, bid for, or purchase the Common Stock to be issued and sold pursuant to this Agreement, or pay anyone any compensation for soliciting purchases of the Placement Shares other than the Agent; provided, however, that the Company may bid for and purchase shares of its common stock in accordance with Rule 10b-18 under the Exchange Act.
(r) Insurance. The Company and its subsidiaries shall maintain, or cause to be maintained, insurance in such amounts and covering such risks as is reasonable and customary for the business for which it is engaged.
(s) Compliance with Laws. The Company and each of its subsidiaries shall maintain, or cause to be maintained, all material environmental certificates, authorizations or permits, licenses and other authorizations required by federal, state and local law in order to conduct their businesses as described in the Prospectus, and the Company and each of its subsidiaries shall conduct their businesses, or cause their businesses to be conducted, in substantial compliance with such permits, licenses and authorizations and with applicable environmental laws, except where the failure to maintain or be in compliance with such permits, licenses and authorizations could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Change.
(t) Investment Company Act. The Company will conduct its affairs in such a manner so as to reasonably ensure that neither it nor its subsidiaries will be or become, at any time prior to the termination of this Agreement, an “investment company,” as such term is defined in the Investment Company Act, assuming no change in the Commission’s current interpretation as to entities that are not considered an investment company.
(u) Securities Act and Exchange Act. The Company will use its reasonable best efforts to comply with all requirements imposed upon it by the Securities Act and the Exchange Act as from time to time in force, so far as necessary to permit the continuance of sales of, or dealings in, the Placement Shares as contemplated by the provisions hereof and the Prospectus.
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(v) No Offer to Sell. Other than the Prospectus or a Permitted Free Writing Prospectus, neither the Agent nor the Company (including its agents and representatives, other than the Agent in its capacity as such) will make, use, prepare, authorize, approve or refer to any written communication (as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act), required to be filed with the Commission, that constitutes an offer to sell or solicitation of an offer to buy Common Stock hereunder.
(w) Sarbanes-Oxley Act. The Company and its subsidiaries will use their best efforts to comply with all effective applicable provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.
(x) Affirmation. Each Placement Notice delivered by the Company to the Agent shall be deemed to be (i) an affirmation that the representations, warranties and agreements of the Company herein contained and contained in any certificate delivered to the Agent pursuant hereto are true and correct at the time of delivery of such Placement Notice, and (ii) an undertaking that such representations, warranties and agreements will be true and correct on any applicable Time of Sale and Settlement Date, as though made at and as of each such time (it being understood that such representations, warranties and agreements shall relate to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus as amended and supplemented to the time of such Placement Notice acceptance).
(y) Renewal. If immediately prior to the third anniversary (the “Renewal Deadline”) of the initial effective date of the Registration Statement, the aggregate gross sales price of Placement Shares sold by the Company is less than the Maximum Amount and this Agreement has not expired or been terminated, the Company will, prior to the Renewal Deadline, use reasonable efforts to file, if it has not already done so and is eligible to do so, a new shelf registration statement relating to the Placement Shares, in a form reasonably satisfactory to the Agent, and, if not automatically effective, will use its reasonable efforts to cause such registration statement to be declared effective within 60 days after the Renewal Deadline. The Company will take all other action it reasonably determines to be necessary or appropriate to permit the issuance and sale of the Placement Shares to continue as contemplated in the expired registration statement relating to the Placement Shares. References herein to the Registration Statement shall include such new shelf registration statement.
8. Conditions to the Agent’s Obligations. The obligations of the Agent hereunder with respect to a Placement Notice will be subject to the continuing accuracy and completeness of the representations and warranties made by the Company herein, to the due performance by the Company of its obligations hereunder and thereunder, to the completion by the Agent of a due diligence review satisfactory to the Agent in its reasonable judgment, and to the continuing satisfaction (or waiver by the Agent in its sole discretion) of the following additional conditions:
(a) Registration Statement Effective. The Registration Statement shall be effective and shall be available for (i) all sales of Placement Shares issued pursuant to all prior Placement Notices and (ii) the sale of all Placement Shares contemplated to be issued pursuant to any Placement Notice.
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(b) No Material Notices. None of the following events shall have occurred and be continuing: (i) receipt by the Company or any of its subsidiaries of any request for additional information from the Commission or any other federal or state governmental authority during the period of effectiveness of the Registration Statement, the response to which would require any post-effective amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus; (ii) the issuance by the Commission or any other federal or state governmental authority of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or the initiation of any proceedings for that purpose; (iii) receipt by the Company of any notification with respect to the suspension of the qualification or exemption from qualification of any of the Placement Shares for sale in any jurisdiction or the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for such purpose; or (iv) the occurrence of any event that makes any material statement made in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or any material document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated therein by reference untrue in any material respect or that requires the making of any changes in the Registration Statement, related Prospectus or such documents so that, in the case of the Registration Statement, it will not contain any materially untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading and, that in the case of the Prospectus, it will not contain any materially untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.
(c) No Misstatement or Material Omission. The Agent shall not have advised the Company that the Registration Statement or Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto, contains an untrue statement of fact that in the Agent’s reasonable opinion is material, or omits to state a fact that in the Agent’s reasonable opinion is material and is required to be stated therein or is necessary to make the statements therein not misleading.
(d) Material Changes. Except as contemplated in the Prospectus, or disclosed in the Company’s reports filed with the Commission, there shall not have been any material adverse change, on a consolidated basis, in the authorized capital stock of the Company or any Material Adverse Change or any development that could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Change, or any downgrading in or withdrawal of the rating assigned to any of the Company’s securities (other than asset backed securities) by any rating organization or a public announcement by any rating organization that it has under surveillance or review its rating of any of the Company’s securities (other than asset backed securities), the effect of which, in the case of any such action by a rating organization described above, in the reasonable judgment of the Agent (without relieving the Company of any obligation or liability it may otherwise have), is so material as to make it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the offering of the Placement Shares on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the Prospectus.
(e) Company Counsel Legal Opinion and Negative Assurance Letter. The Agent shall have received the Corporate Legal Opinion and negative assurance letter of Company Counsel required to be delivered pursuant to Section 7(n), on or before the date on which such delivery of such opinion is required pursuant to Section 7(n).
(f) Intellectual Counsel Legal Opinion. The Agent shall have received the opinion of Intellectual Property Counsel required to be delivered pursuant to Section 7(o), on or before the date on which such delivery of such opinion is required pursuant to Section 7(o).
(g) Agent’s Counsel Legal Opinion. The Agent shall have received from Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP, counsel for the Agent, such opinion or opinions, on or before the date on which the delivery of the Company Counsel legal opinion is required pursuant to Section 7(n), with respect to such matters as the Agent may reasonably require, and the Company shall have furnished to such counsel such documents as they may request to enable them to pass upon such matters.
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(h) Comfort Letter. The Agent shall have received the Comfort Letter required to be delivered pursuant to Section 7(p) on or before the date on which such delivery of such Comfort Letter is required pursuant to Section 7(p).
(i) Representation Certificate. The Agent shall have received the certificate required to be delivered pursuant to Section 7(m) on or before the date on which delivery of such certificate is required pursuant to Section 7(m).
(j) Secretary’s Certificate. On or prior to the First Delivery Date, the Agent shall have received a certificate, signed on behalf of the Company by its corporate secretary, in form and substance satisfactory to the Agent and its counsel.
(k) No Suspension. The Common Stock shall be duly listed, and admitted and authorized for trading on Nasdaq. Trading in the Common Stock shall not have been suspended on, and the Common Stock shall not have been delisted from, Nasdaq.
(l) Other Materials. On each date on which the Company is required to deliver a certificate pursuant to Section 7(m), the Company shall have furnished to the Agent such appropriate further information, certificates and documents as the Agent may have reasonably requested. All such opinions, certificates, letters and other documents shall have been in compliance with the provisions hereof. The Company will furnish the Agent with such conformed copies of such opinions, certificates, letters and other documents as the Agent shall have reasonably requested.
(m) Securities Act Filings Made. All filings with the Commission with respect to the Placement Shares required by Rule 424 under the Securities Act to have been filed prior to the issuance of any Placement Notice hereunder shall have been made within the applicable time period prescribed for such filing by Rule 424.
(n) Approval for Listing. The Placement Shares shall either have been (i) approved for listing on Nasdaq, or (ii) the Company shall have filed an application for listing of the Placement Shares on Nasdaq at, or prior to, the issuance of any Placement Notice.
(o) FINRA. FINRA shall have raised no objection to the terms of the offering contemplated hereby and the amount of compensation allowable or payable to the Agent as described in the Prospectus.
(p) No Termination Event. There shall not have occurred any event that would permit the Agent to terminate this Agreement pursuant to Section 11(a).
9. Indemnification and Contribution.
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(a) Company Indemnification. The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Agent, the directors, officers, partners, employees and agents of the Agent and each person, if any, who (i) controls the Agent within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, or (ii) is controlled by or is under common control with the Agent from and against any and all losses, claims, liabilities, expenses and damages (including, but not limited to, any and all reasonable investigative, legal and other expenses incurred in connection with, and any and all amounts paid in settlement (in accordance with Section 9(c)) of, any action, suit or proceeding between any of the indemnified parties and any indemnifying parties or between any indemnified party and any third party, or otherwise, or any claim asserted), as and when incurred, to which the Agent, or any such person, may become subject under the Securities Act, the Exchange Act or other federal or state statutory law or regulation, at common law or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, liabilities, expenses or damages arise out of or are based, directly or indirectly, on (x) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or in any free writing prospectus or in any application or other document executed by or on behalf of the Company or based on written information furnished by or on behalf of the Company filed in any jurisdiction in order to qualify the Common Stock under the securities laws thereof or filed with the Commission, (y) the omission or alleged omission to state in any such document a material fact required to be stated in it or necessary to make the statements in it not misleading or (z) any breach by any of the indemnifying parties of any of their respective representations, warranties and agreements contained in this Agreement; provided, however, that this indemnity agreement shall not apply to the extent that such loss, claim, liability, expense or damage arises from the sale of the Placement Shares pursuant to this Agreement and is caused directly or indirectly by an untrue statement or omission made in reliance upon and in conformity with solely Agent’s Information. “Agent’s Information” means, solely, the following information in the Prospectus: the fifth paragraph and the last sentence of the eighth paragraph under the caption “Plan of Distribution” in the Prospectus. This indemnity agreement will be in addition to any liability that the Company might otherwise have.
(b) Agent Indemnification. The Agent agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Company and its directors and each officer of the Company that signed the Registration Statement, and each person, if any, who (i) controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act or (ii) is controlled by or is under common control with the Company against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense described in the indemnity contained in Section 9(a), as incurred, but only with respect to untrue statements or omissions, or alleged untrue statements or omissions, made in the Registration Statement (or any amendments thereto) or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) in reliance upon and in conformity with the Agent’s Information.
(c) Procedure. Any party that proposes to assert the right to be indemnified under this Section 9 will, promptly after receipt of notice of commencement of any action against such party in respect of which a claim is to be made against an indemnifying party or parties under this Section 9, notify each such indemnifying party of the commencement of such action, enclosing a copy of all papers served, but the omission so to notify such indemnifying party will not relieve the indemnifying party from (i) any liability that it might have to any indemnified party otherwise than under this Section 9 and (ii) any liability that it may have to any indemnified party under the foregoing provision of this Section 9 unless, and only to the extent that, such omission results in the forfeiture of substantive rights or defenses by the indemnifying party. If any such action is brought against any indemnified party and it notifies the indemnifying party of its commencement, the indemnifying party will be entitled to participate in and, to the extent that it elects by delivering written notice to the indemnified party promptly after receiving notice of the commencement of the action from the indemnified party, jointly with any other indemnifying party similarly notified, to assume the defense of the action, with counsel reasonably satisfactory to the indemnified party, and after notice from the indemnifying party to the indemnified party of its election to assume the defense, the indemnifying party will not be liable to the indemnified party for any legal or other expenses except as provided below and except for the reasonable and documented costs of investigation subsequently incurred by the indemnified party in connection with the defense. The indemnified party will have the right to employ its own counsel in any such action, but the reasonable and documented fees, expenses and other charges of such counsel will be at the expense of such indemnified party unless (1) the employment of counsel by the indemnified party has been authorized in writing by the indemnifying party, (2) the indemnified party has reasonably concluded (based on advice of counsel) that there may be legal defenses available to it or other indemnified parties that are different from or in addition to those available to the indemnifying party, (3) a conflict or potential conflict exists (based on advice of counsel to the indemnified party) between the indemnified party and the indemnifying party (in which case the indemnifying party will not have the right to direct the defense of such action on behalf of the indemnified party) or (4) the indemnifying party has not in fact employed counsel to assume the defense of such action within a reasonable time after receiving notice of the commencement of the action, in each of which cases the reasonable and documented fees, disbursements and other charges of counsel will be at the expense of the indemnifying party or parties. It is understood that the indemnifying party or parties shall not, in connection with any proceeding or related proceedings in the same jurisdiction, be liable for the reasonable and documented fees, disbursements and other charges of more than one separate firm admitted to practice in such jurisdiction at any one time for all such indemnified party or parties. All such fees, disbursements and other charges will be reimbursed by the indemnifying party promptly as they are incurred. An indemnifying party will not, in any event, be liable for any settlement of any action or claim effected without its written consent. No indemnifying party shall, without the prior written consent of each indemnified party, settle or compromise or consent to the entry of any judgment in any pending or threatened claim, action or proceeding relating to the matters contemplated by this Section 9 (whether or not any indemnified party is a party thereto), unless such settlement, compromise or consent includes an unconditional release of each indemnified party from all liability arising or that may arise out of such claim, action or proceeding.
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(d) Contribution. In order to provide for just and equitable contribution in circumstances in which the indemnification provided for in the foregoing paragraphs of this Section 9 is applicable in accordance with its terms but for any reason is held to be unavailable from the Company or the Agent, the Company and the Agent will contribute to the total losses, claims, liabilities, reasonable expenses and damages (including any investigative, legal and other expenses reasonably incurred in connection with, and any amount paid in settlement of, any action, suit or proceeding or any claim asserted, but after deducting any contribution received by the Company from persons other than the Agent, such as persons who control the Company within the meaning of the Securities Act, officers of the Company who signed the Registration Statement and directors of the Company, who also may be liable for contribution) to which the Company and the Agent may be subject in such proportion as shall be appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Agent on the other. The relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Agent on the other hand shall be deemed to be in the same proportion as the total Net Proceeds from the sale of the Placement Shares (before deducting expenses) received by the Company bear to the total compensation received by the Agent from the sale of Placement Shares on behalf of the Company. If, but only if, the allocation provided by the foregoing sentence is not permitted by applicable law, the allocation of contribution shall be made in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in the foregoing sentence but also the relative fault of the Company, on the one hand, and the Agent, on the other, with respect to the statements or omission that resulted in such loss, claim, liability, expense or damage, or action in respect thereof, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations with respect to such offering. Such relative fault shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company or the Agent, the intent of the parties and their relative knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission. The Company and the Agent agree that it would not be just and equitable if contributions pursuant to this Section 9(d) were to be determined by pro rata allocation or by any other method of allocation that does not take into account the equitable considerations referred to herein. The amount paid or payable by an indemnified party as a result of the loss, claim, liability, expense, or damage, or action in respect thereof, referred to above in this Section 9(d) shall be deemed to include, for the purpose of this Section 9(d), any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in connection with investigating or defending any such action or claim to the extent consistent with Section 9(c) hereof. Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Section 9(d), the Agent shall not be required to contribute any amount in excess of the commissions received by it under this Agreement and no person found guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) will be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. For purposes of this Section 9(d), any person who controls a party to this Agreement within the meaning of the Securities Act, and any officers, directors, partners, employees or agents of the Agent, will have the same rights to contribution as that party, and each officer and director of the Company who signed the Registration Statement will have the same rights to contribution as the Company, subject in each case to the provisions hereof. Any party entitled to contribution, promptly after receipt of notice of commencement of any action against such party in respect of which a claim for contribution may be made under this Section 9(d), will notify any such party or parties from whom contribution may be sought, but the omission to so notify will not relieve that party or parties from whom contribution may be sought from any other obligation it or they may have under this Section 9(d) except to the extent that the failure to so notify such other party materially prejudiced the substantive rights or defenses of the party from whom contribution is sought. Except for a settlement entered into pursuant to the last sentence of Section 9(c) hereof, no party will be liable for contribution with respect to any action or claim settled without its written consent if such consent is required pursuant to Section 9(c) hereof.
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10. Representations and Agreements to Survive Delivery. The indemnity and contribution agreements contained in Section 9 of this Agreement and all representations and warranties of the Company herein or in certificates delivered pursuant hereto shall survive, as of their respective dates, regardless of (i) any investigation made by or on behalf of the Agent, any controlling persons, or the Company (or any of their respective officers, directors or controlling persons), (ii) delivery and acceptance of the Placement Shares and payment therefor or (iii) any termination of this Agreement.
11. Termination.
(a) the Agent shall have the right by giving notice as hereinafter specified at any time to terminate this Agreement if (i) any Material Adverse Change, or any development that could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Change has occurred that, in the reasonable judgment of the Agent, may materially impair the ability of the Agent to sell the Placement Shares hereunder, (ii) the Company shall have failed, refused or been unable to perform any agreement on its part to be performed hereunder, or (iii) any other condition of the Agent’s obligations hereunder is not fulfilled, or (iv), any suspension or limitation of trading in the Placement Shares or in securities generally on Nasdaq shall have occurred. Any such termination shall be without liability of any party to any other party except that the provisions of Section 7(g) (Expenses), Section 9 (Indemnification and Contribution), Section 10 (Representations and Agreements to Survive Delivery), Section 16 (Applicable Law; Consent to Jurisdiction) and Section 17 (Waiver of Jury Trial) hereof shall remain in full force and effect notwithstanding such termination. If the Agent elects to terminate this Agreement as provided in this Section 11(a), the Agent shall provide the required notice as specified in Section 12 (Notices).
(b) The Company shall have the right, by giving ten (10) days’ notice as hereinafter specified to terminate this Agreement in its sole discretion at any time after the date of this Agreement. Any such termination shall be without liability of any party to any other party except that the provisions of Section 7(g), Section 9, Section 10, Section 16 and Section 17 hereof shall remain in full force and effect notwithstanding such termination.
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(c) the Agent shall have the right, by giving ten (10) days’ notice as hereinafter specified to terminate this Agreement in its sole discretion at any time after the date of this Agreement. Any such termination shall be without liability of any party to any other party except that the provisions of Section 7(g), Section 9, Section 10, Section 16 and Section 17 hereof shall remain in full force and effect notwithstanding such termination.
(d) Unless earlier terminated pursuant to this Section 11, this Agreement shall automatically terminate upon the issuance and sale of all of the Placement Shares through the Agent on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth herein; provided that the provisions of Section 7(g), Section 9, Section 10, Section 16 and Section 17 hereof shall remain in full force and effect notwithstanding such termination.
(e) This Agreement shall remain in full force and effect unless terminated pursuant to Sections 11(a), (b), (c), or (d) above or otherwise by mutual agreement of the parties; provided, however, that any such termination by mutual agreement shall in all cases be deemed to provide that Section 7(g), Section 9, Section 10, Section 16 and Section 17 shall remain in full force and effect. Upon termination of this Agreement, the Company shall not have any liability to the Agent for any discount, commission or other compensation with respect to any Placement Shares not otherwise sold by the Agent under this Agreement, or otherwise, except with respect to reimbursement of expenses pursuant to Section 7(g).
(f) Any termination of this Agreement shall be effective on the date specified in such notice of termination; provided, however, that such termination shall not be effective until the close of business on the date of receipt of such notice by the Agent or the Company, as the case may be. If such termination shall occur prior to the Settlement Date for any sale of Placement Shares, such Placement Shares shall settle in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement.
12. Notices. All notices or other communications required or permitted to be given by any party to any other party pursuant to the terms of this Agreement shall be in writing, unless otherwise specified in this Agreement, and if sent to the Agent, shall be delivered to:
Oppenheimer & Co. Inc.
85 Broad Street
New York, New York 10004
Attention:
Michael Margolis, MichaelA.Margolis@opco.com
Jason Fenton, Jason.Fenton@opco.com
With a copy to:
Peter Vogelsang, Peter.Vogelsang@opco.com
with a copy (which shall not constitute notice) to:
Oppenheimer & Co. Inc.
85 Broad Street
New York, New York 10004
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Attention: Office of the General Counsel
Telephone: (212) 668-5771
and
Olema Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
512 2nd Street, 4th Floor
San Francisco, California 94107
Attention: Sean Bohen, sean@olema.com, with a copy (which shall not constitute notice)
to
Cooley LLP
101 California Street, Suite 101
San Francisco, California, 94105
Attention: Jodie Bourdet, jbourdet@cooley.com
Each party to this Agreement may change such address for notices by sending to the parties to this Agreement written notice of a new address for such purpose. Each such notice or other communication shall be deemed given (i) when delivered personally or by verifiable facsimile transmission (with an original to follow) on or before 4:30 P.M., New York City time, on a Business Day (as defined below), or, if such day is not a Business Day, on the next succeeding Business Day, (ii) on the next Business Day after timely delivery to a nationally-recognized overnight courier and (iii) on the Business Day actually received if deposited in the U.S. mail (certified or registered mail, return receipt requested, postage prepaid). For purposes of this Agreement, “Business Day” shall mean any day on which Nasdaq and commercial banks in the City of New York are open for business.
An electronic communication (“Electronic Notice”) shall be deemed written notice for purposes of this Section 12 if sent to the electronic mail address specified by the receiving party under separate cover. Electronic Notice shall be deemed received at the time the party sending Electronic Notice receives actual acknowledgment of receipt from the person to whom the notice is sent, other than via auto-reply. Any party receiving Electronic Notice may request and shall be entitled to receive the notice on paper, in a nonelectronic form (“Nonelectronic Notice”), which shall be sent to the requesting party within ten (10) days of receipt of the written request for Nonelectronic Notice.
13. Successors and Assigns. This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the Company and the Agent and their respective successors and the affiliates, controlling persons, officers and directors referred to in Section 9 hereof. References to any of the parties contained in this Agreement shall be deemed to include the successors and permitted assigns of such party. Nothing in this Agreement, express or implied, is intended to confer upon any party other than the parties hereto or their respective successors and permitted assigns any rights, remedies, obligations or liabilities under or by reason of this Agreement, except as expressly provided in this Agreement. Neither party may assign its rights or obligations under this Agreement without the prior written consent of the other party; provided, however, that the Agent may assign its rights and obligations hereunder to an affiliate of the Agent without obtaining the Company’s consent.
14. Adjustments for Share Splits. The parties acknowledge and agree that all share-related numbers contained in this Agreement shall be adjusted to take into account any share split, share dividend or similar event effected with respect to the Common Stock.
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15. Entire Agreement; Amendment; Severability. This Agreement (including all schedules and exhibits attached hereto and Placement Notices issued pursuant hereto) constitutes the entire agreement and supersedes all other prior and contemporaneous agreements and undertakings, both written and oral, among the parties hereto with regard to the subject matter hereof. Neither this Agreement nor any term hereof may be amended except pursuant to a written instrument executed by the Company and the Agent. In the event that any one or more of the provisions contained herein, or the application thereof in any circumstance, is held invalid, illegal or unenforceable as written by a court of competent jurisdiction, then such provision shall be given full force and effect to the fullest possible extent that it is valid, legal and enforceable, and the remainder of the terms and provisions herein shall be construed as if such invalid, illegal or unenforceable term or provision was not contained herein, but only to the extent that giving effect to such provision and the remainder of the terms and provisions hereof shall be in accordance with the intent of the parties as reflected in this Agreement.
16. Applicable Law; Consent to Jurisdiction. This Agreement shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the internal laws of the State of New York without regard to the principles of conflicts of laws. Each party hereby irrevocably submits to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of the state and federal courts sitting in the City of New York, borough of Manhattan, for the adjudication of any dispute hereunder or in connection with any transaction contemplated hereby, and hereby irrevocably waives, and agrees not to assert in any suit, action or proceeding, any claim that it is not personally subject to the jurisdiction of any such court, that such suit, action or proceeding is brought in an inconvenient forum or that the venue of such suit, action or proceeding is improper. Each party hereby irrevocably waives personal service of process and consents to process being served in any such suit, action or proceeding by mailing a copy thereof (certified or registered mail, return receipt requested) to such party at the address in effect for notices to it under this Agreement and agrees that such service shall constitute good and sufficient service of process and notice thereof. Nothing contained herein shall be deemed to limit in any way any right to serve process in any manner permitted by law.
17. Waiver of Jury Trial. The Company and the Agent each hereby irrevocably waives any right it may have to a trial by jury in respect of any claim based upon or arising out of this Agreement or any transaction contemplated hereby.
18. Absence of Fiduciary Relationship. The Company acknowledges and agrees that:
(a) the Agent has been retained solely to act as an arm’s length contractual counterparty to the Company in connection with the sale of the Placement Shares contemplated hereby and that no fiduciary, advisory or agency relationship between the Company and the Agent has been created in respect of any of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, irrespective of whether the Agent has advised or is advising the Company on other matters;
(b) the Company is capable of evaluating and understanding and understands and accepts the terms, risks and conditions of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement;
(c) the Company has been advised that the Agent and its affiliates are engaged in a broad range of transactions which may involve interests that differ from those of the Company and that the Agent has no obligation to disclose such interests and transactions to the Company by virtue of any fiduciary, advisory or agency relationship; and
(d) the Company waives, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any claims it may have against the Agent, for breach of fiduciary duty or alleged breach of fiduciary duty and agrees that the Agent shall have no liability (whether direct or indirect) to the Company in respect of such a fiduciary claim or to any person asserting a fiduciary duty claim on behalf of or in right of the Company, including stockholders, partners, employees or creditors of the Company.
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19. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument. Delivery of an executed Agreement by one party to the other may be made by facsimile or electronic transmission. Counterparts may be delivered via facsimile, electronic mail (including any electronic signature covered by the U.S. federal ESIGN Act of 2000, Uniform Electronic Transactions Act, the Electronic Signatures and Records Act or other applicable law, e.g., www.docusign.com) or other transmission method and any counterpart so delivered shall be deemed to have been duly and validly delivered and be valid and effective for all purposes.
[Remainder of Page Intentionally Blank]
- 33 -
If the foregoing correctly sets forth the understanding between the Company and the Agent, please so indicate in the space provided below for that purpose, whereupon this letter shall constitute a binding agreement between the Company and the Agent.
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Very truly yours, |
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OPPENHEIMER & CO. INC. |
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By: |
/s/ Michael Margolis, R.Ph. |
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Name: |
Michael Margolis, R.Ph. |
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Title: |
Senior Managing Director, Co-Head |
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Healthcare IB |
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ACCEPTED as of the date |
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first-above written: |
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OLEMA PHARMACEUTICALS, INC. |
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By: |
/s/ Shane Kovacs |
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Name: |
Shane Kovacs |
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Title: |
Chief Operating and Financial Officer |
SCHEDULE 1
FORM OF PLACEMENT NOTICE
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From: |
[ ] |
Cc: |
[ ] |
To: |
[ ] |
Subject: |
Oppenheimer At the Market Offering—Placement Notice |
Gentlemen:
Pursuant to the terms and subject to the conditions contained in the Sales Agreement between Olema Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (the “Company”), and Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. (“Oppenheimer”) dated March 9, 2023 (the “Agreement”), I hereby request on behalf of the Company that Oppenheimer sell up to [ ] shares of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, at a minimum market price of $ per share. Sales should begin on the date of this Notice and shall continue until [DATE] [all shares are sold].
[The Company may include such other sales parameters as it deems appropriate.]
SCHEDULE 2
Notice Parties
Company
Sean P. Bohen, M.D., Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer
Shane Kovacs, Chief Operating and Financial Officer
Oppenheimer & Co. Inc.
Stephanie Cruz, Managing Director (Stephanie.Cruz@opco.com)
Thomas Villano, Executive Director (Thomas.Villano@opco.com)
DL-EquityATMOffering@opco.com
SCHEDULE 3
Compensation
The Agent shall be paid compensation equal to up to 3.0% of the gross proceeds from the sales of Common Stock pursuant to the terms of this Agreement.
Exhibit 7(m)
OFFICER CERTIFICATE
The undersigned, the duly qualified and elected , of Olema Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (“Company”), a Delaware corporation, does hereby certify in such capacity and on behalf of the Company, pursuant to Section 7(m) of the Sales Agreement dated March 9, 2023 (the “Sales Agreement”) between the Company and Oppenheimer & Co. Inc., that to the best of the knowledge of the undersigned.
Cooley LLP and Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP shall be entitled to rely upon this certificate for purposes of delivering their respective opinions and negative assurance letters pursuant to the Sales Agreement.
Capitalized terms used but not defined herein shall have the meanings ascribed to them in the Sales Agreement.
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By: |
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Name: |
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Title: |
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Date: |
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Exhibit 10.14
Olema Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
2022 Inducement Plan
Adopted by the Board of Directors: January 19, 2022
Amended by the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors: December 5, 2024
Effective: January 1, 2025
Each Option and SAR will have such terms and conditions as determined by the Board. Each SAR will be denominated in shares of Common Stock equivalents. The terms and conditions of separate Options and SARs need not be identical; provided, however, that each Option Agreement and SAR Agreement will conform (through incorporation of provisions hereof by reference in the Award Agreement or otherwise) to the substance of each of the following provisions:
2
3
Following the date of such termination, to the extent the Participant does not exercise such Award within the applicable Post-Termination Exercise Period (or, if earlier, prior to the expiration of the maximum term of such Award), such unexercised portion of the Award will terminate, and the Participant will have no further right, title or interest in terminated Award, the shares of Common Stock subject to the terminated Award, or any consideration in respect of the terminated Award.
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
If all or any part of the Plan or any Award Agreement is declared by any court or governmental authority to be unlawful or invalid, such unlawfulness or invalidity shall not invalidate any portion of the Plan or such Award Agreement not declared to be unlawful or invalid. Any Section of the Plan or any Award Agreement (or part of such a Section) so declared to be unlawful or invalid shall, if possible, be construed in a manner which will give effect to the terms of such Section or part of a Section to the fullest extent possible while remaining lawful and valid.
The Board may suspend or terminate the Plan at any time. No Awards may be granted under the Plan while the Plan is suspended or after it is terminated.
As used in the Plan, the following definitions apply to the capitalized terms indicated below:
17
18
Notwithstanding the foregoing or any other provision of this Plan, (A) the term Change in Control shall not include a sale of assets, merger or other transaction effected exclusively for the purpose of changing the domicile of the Company, and (B) the definition of Change in Control (or any analogous term) in an individual written agreement between the Company or any Affiliate and the Participant shall supersede the foregoing definition with respect to Awards subject to such agreement; provided, however, that if no definition of Change in Control or any analogous term is set forth in such an individual written agreement, the foregoing definition shall apply.
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
EXHIBIT 10.18
January 27, 2025
Shawnte Mitchell
EMAIL/DOCUSIGN
Re: Employment Terms
Dear Shawnte:
Olema Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (the “Company”) is pleased to offer you employment as its Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary, pursuant to the terms of this offer letter agreement (the “Agreement”).
This offer is subject to satisfactory proof of your right to work in the United States and satisfactory completion of a Company-required background check. You agree to assist as needed and to complete any documentation at the Company’s request to meet these conditions.
If you agree to the terms and conditions set forth herein, please sign below.
Best regards,
/s/ Sean Bohen
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Sean Bohen, M.D., Ph.D. |
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President and Chief Executive Officer |
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Accepted and agreed:
/s/ Shawnte Mitchell
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Shawnte Mitchell |
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Date: |
1/27/2025 |
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Exhibit 10.25
Certain identified information has been excluded from this exhibit because it is both not material and is the type that the registrant treats as private or confidential. Information that was omitted has been noted in this document with a placeholder identified by the mark “[***]”.
CLINICAL TRIAL COLLABORATION AND SUPPLY AGREEMENT
(FOR PHASE III CLINICAL STUDY OF OP-1250 IN COMBINATION WITH RIBOCICLIB)
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
ARTICLE 1. Definitions; Construction. |
1 |
|
Section 1.1. |
Definitions. |
1 |
Section 1.2. |
Construction. |
12 |
ARTICLE 2. General Principles. |
13 |
|
Section 2.1. |
Standard of Performance. |
13 |
Section 2.2. |
Manufacturing Representations and Warranties. |
13 |
Section 2.3. |
Subcontractors. |
14 |
Section 2.4. |
[***]. |
14 |
Section 2.5. |
Other Studies. |
14 |
ARTICLE 3. Conduct of the Study. |
14 |
|
Section 3.1. |
Sponsor of Study. |
14 |
Section 3.2. |
Performance. |
14 |
Section 3.3. |
Compliance and Regulatory Discussions; Rights of Reference. |
14 |
Section 3.4. |
Reports and Documentation. |
17 |
Section 3.5. |
Access to Clinical Data and BIRC Reports. |
17 |
Section 3.6. |
Sample Collection and Ownership. |
18 |
Section 3.7. |
Ownership of Clinical Data. |
19 |
Section 3.8. |
Roles of Project Managers. |
20 |
Section 3.9. |
Alliance Manager. |
20 |
Section 3.10. |
Supply Chain Representative. |
21 |
Section 3.11. |
Clinical Study Report. |
21 |
Section 3.12. |
Future Business Opportunities. |
21 |
Section 3.13. |
Party Owned Materials. |
21 |
ARTICLE 4. Protocol and Related Documents. |
22 |
|
Section 4.1. |
Protocol. |
22 |
i
Section 4.2. |
Patient Informed Consent. |
22 |
Section 4.3. |
Sunshine Reporting. |
23 |
Section 4.4. |
Statistical Analysis Plan. |
23 |
ARTICLE 5. Adverse Event Reporting. |
23 |
|
ARTICLE 6. ROFN, ROFO, RIGHT TO RECEIVE NOTICE AND REPAYMENT OBLIGATION. |
24 |
|
Section 6.1. |
Right of First Negotiation. |
24 |
Section 6.2. |
Right of First Offer. |
25 |
Section 6.3. |
Right to Receive Notice of Acquisition Proposal. |
27 |
Section 6.4. |
Repayment Obligation. |
27 |
Section 6.5. |
Survival. |
27 |
ARTICLE 7. Term and Termination. |
28 |
|
Section 7.1. |
Term. |
28 |
Section 7.2. |
Termination for Failure to Initiate Study. |
28 |
Section 7.3. |
Termination for Material Breach |
28 |
Section 7.4. |
Termination for Bankruptcy. |
28 |
Section 7.5. |
Termination for Anti-Corruption Matters. |
29 |
Section 7.6. |
Termination for Patient Safety or Efficacy. |
29 |
Section 7.7. |
Termination for Regulatory Action. |
29 |
Section 7.8. |
Termination for Clinical Hold. |
29 |
Section 7.9. |
Termination for Change of Control. |
30 |
Section 7.10. |
Termination for Olema Compound Transaction with a Third Party. |
30 |
Section 7.11. |
Termination for Force Majeure. |
30 |
Section 7.12. |
Termination for Study Termination. |
30 |
Section 7.13. |
Clinical Trial Wind-Down. |
30 |
Section 7.14. |
Return of Novartis Compound and Reporting Study Results. |
30 |
Section 7.15. |
Survival. |
30 |
ii
Section 7.16. |
No Prejudice to Claims. |
31 |
Section 7.17. |
Return of Confidential Information. |
31 |
ARTICLE 8. Costs of the Study. |
31 |
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ARTICLE 9. Supply and Use of Compounds. |
31 |
|
Section 9.1. |
Supply of Novartis Compound. |
31 |
Section 9.2. |
Delivery of Novartis Compound. |
32 |
Section 9.3. |
Labeling and Packaging; Use, Handling and Storage. |
32 |
Section 9.4. |
Changes to Manufacturing. |
33 |
Section 9.5. |
Product Testing; Noncompliance. |
33 |
Section 9.6. |
Resolution of Discrepancies. |
34 |
Section 9.7. |
Investigations. |
34 |
Section 9.8. |
Shortage; Allocation. |
34 |
Section 9.9. |
Manufacturing Records. |
34 |
Section 9.10. |
Quality. |
34 |
Section 9.11. |
Audits and Inspections. |
34 |
Section 9.12. |
Recalls. |
34 |
Section 9.13. |
VAT; Customs Duties. |
34 |
ARTICLE 10. Confidentiality. |
35 |
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Section 10.1. |
Treatment of Confidential Information. |
35 |
Section 10.2. |
Jointly Owned Confidential Information. |
36 |
Section 10.3. |
Disclosure of Confidential Information. |
36 |
Section 10.4. |
Confidential Information with Personal Data. |
37 |
ARTICLE 11. Intellectual Property. |
37 |
|
Section 11.1. |
Joint Inventions and Patent Prosecution. |
37 |
Section 11.2. |
Olema Inventions. |
39 |
Section 11.3. |
Novartis Inventions. |
40 |
Section 11.4. |
Mutual Freedom to Operate for Combination Inventions. |
40 |
iii
Section 11.5. |
No Transfer of Proprietary Rights Not Specified. |
40 |
ARTICLE 12. Reprints and Rights of Cross-Reference. |
41 |
|
ARTICLE 13. Press Releases and Publications. |
41 |
|
Section 13.1. |
No Public Announcements. |
41 |
Section 13.2. |
Registration of Clinical Trial. |
41 |
Section 13.3. |
Review of Materials. |
41 |
Section 13.4. |
Acknowledgments. |
42 |
ARTICLE 14. General Representations and Warranties; Disclaimers. |
42 |
|
Section 14.1. |
General Representations. |
42 |
Section 14.2. |
No Guaranteed Results. |
43 |
Section 14.3. |
Anti-Corruption. |
43 |
Section 14.4. |
Compliance. |
45 |
Section 14.5. |
NO OTHER REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES. |
45 |
ARTICLE 15. Insurance; Indemnification; Limitation of Liability. |
45 |
|
Section 15.1. |
Insurance. |
45 |
Section 15.2. |
Indemnification. |
45 |
Section 15.3. |
Study Subjects. |
46 |
Section 15.4. |
LIMITATION OF LIABILITY. |
46 |
ARTICLE 16. Data Privacy |
47 |
|
Section 16.1. |
Definitions. |
47 |
Section 16.2. |
Disclosure of Data. |
47 |
Section 16.3. |
Controller. |
47 |
Section 16.4. |
Compliance with Law: |
47 |
Section 16.5. |
Restrictions. |
47 |
Section 16.6. |
Data Controller. |
48 |
ARTICLE 17. Miscellaneous |
48 |
|
Section 17.1. |
Use of Name. |
48 |
iv
Section 17.2. |
Force Majeure. |
48 |
Section 17.3. |
Entire Agreement; Modification. |
49 |
Section 17.4. |
Prevailing Terms. |
49 |
Section 17.5. |
Assignment and Sub-Contracting. |
49 |
Section 17.6. |
Invalid Provision. |
49 |
Section 17.7. |
No Additional Obligations. |
49 |
Section 17.8. |
Dispute Resolution and Jurisdiction. |
49 |
Section 17.9. |
Notices. |
51 |
Section 17.10. |
Relationship of the Parties. |
51 |
Section 17.11. |
Further Assurances. |
51 |
Section 17.12. |
Extension to Affiliates. |
52 |
Section 17.13. |
English Language |
52 |
Section 17.14. |
Counterparts and Due Execution. |
52 |
Appendix A PROTOCOL SYNOPSIS; PROTOCOL |
54 |
|
Appendix B MINIMUM INFORMATION SECURITY MANAGEMENT STANDARDS |
55 |
|
Appendix C SUPPLY OF COMPOUNDS |
62 |
|
Appendix D DATA SHARING AGREEMENT |
63 |
|
Appendix E LIST OF PRE-APPROVED COUNTRIES |
67 |
|
v
CLINICAL TRIAL COLLABORATION AND SUPPLY AGREEMENT
This CLINICAL TRIAL COLLABORATION AND SUPPLY AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”), made as of November 29, 2024 (the “Effective Date”), is entered into by and between Olema Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a Delaware corporation, having a place of business at 780 Brannan Street, San Francisco, CA 94103 (“Olema”), and Novartis Pharma AG, having a place of business at Lichtstrasse 35, 4056 Basel, Switzerland (“Novartis”). Novartis and Olema are each referred to herein individually as a “Party” and collectively as the “Parties”.
RECITALS
A. Novartis is developing and commercializing the Novartis Compound (as defined below) for the treatment of certain types of cancers.
B. Olema is developing the Olema Compound (as defined below) for the treatment of certain types of cancers.
C. Olema desires to sponsor a clinical trial having two arms whereby (1) in a first arm, the Olema Compound and the Novartis Compound would be dosed concomitantly or sequentially, and (2) in a second arm, the Novartis Compound and Letrozole® would be dosed concomitantly or sequentially.
D. Novartis and Olema desire to collaborate as more fully described herein, including for Novartis to provide the Novartis Compound to Olema for use in the Study (as defined below).
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and of the following mutual promises, covenants and conditions, the Parties, intending to be legally bound, mutually agree as follows:
ARTICLE 1. DEFINITIONS; CONSTRUCTION.
Section 1.1. Definitions. For all purposes of this Agreement, the capitalized terms defined in this Section 1.1 and throughout this Agreement have the meanings herein specified.
“Acquisition Proposal” means any offer, proposal or indication of interest (in writing or otherwise) from any Third Party relating to an Olema Change of Control.
“Acquisition Proposal Notice” has the meaning given in Section 6.3.
“Adverse Event” or “AE” means any untoward medical occurrence in a patient or clinical investigation subject administered a pharmaceutical product or any other medicinal product and which does not necessarily have to have a causal relationship with this treatment. An AE can therefore be any unfavorable and unintended sign (including an abnormal laboratory finding, for example), symptom, or disease temporarily associated with the use of a medicinal product, whether considered related to the medicinal (investigational) product.
“Affiliate” means, with respect to any Person, any other Person that now or hereinafter controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with, such Person. For purposes of this definition, “control” means direct or indirect ownership of at least fifty percent (50%) of the shares of stock entitled to vote for the election of directors, in the case of a corporation, or fifty percent (50%) or more of the equity interest, in the case of any other type of legal entity, status as a general partner in any partnership or any other arrangement whereby the Person controls or has the right to control the board of directors or equivalent governing body of a corporation or other entity, or the ability to direct the management and policies of a corporation or other entity.
1
The Parties acknowledge that, in the case of entities organized under the laws of certain countries where the maximum percentage ownership permitted by law for a foreign investor is less than fifty percent (50%), such lower percentage shall be substituted in the preceding sentence; provided, that such foreign investor has the power to direct the management and policies of such entity.
“Agreement” means (1) this Clinical Trial Collaboration and Supply Agreement, including the Appendices attached hereto, and (2) the Related Agreements, including any Appendices attached thereto, in each case as they may be amended from time to time after the Effective Date.
“Alliance Manager” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.9.
“Applicable Law” means all federal, state, local, national and regional laws applicable to the activities hereunder, including performance of clinical trials, medical treatment, the processing and protection of Personal Data or medical data (such as those specified in the regulations issued under GDPR, CCPA or HIPAA), and the manufacture, processing, distribution of the Compounds, as may be amended and in effect from time to time, including the United States Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. 301) and all applicable federal, state and local laws and regulations, all applicable cGMP and GCP and all other applicable laws and regulations, of any other applicable jurisdiction, including guidelines issued by the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations, and including export control and economic sanctions regulations which prohibit the shipment of United States-origin products and technology to certain restricted countries, entities and individuals; anti-bribery and anti-corruption laws pertaining to interactions with government agents, officials and representatives, including the FCPA, the UK Bribery Act; laws and regulations governing payments to healthcare providers and similar maters, including requirements of the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations; and any United States or other country’s or jurisdiction’s successor or replacement statutes, laws, rules, regulations and directives relating to the foregoing. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, “Applicable Law” includes (a) the Physician Payment Sunshine Act and similar state gift laws applicable to the activities hereunder, and (b) the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations Disclosure Code of Transfers of Value.
“Assay Results” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.6.2.
“Background Intellectual Property or “Background IP” means Patents and Know-How owned or Controlled by a Party or any of its Affiliates (a) as of the Effective Date, or (b) after the Effective Date independent of this Agreement.
“Business Day” means any day other than a Saturday, Sunday or any public or federal holiday on which commercial banks located in New York, NY, Cambridge, MA, or Basel, Switzerland are authorized or obligated by law to be closed; provided, that none of December 24 through December 31 or January 1 through January 2 shall constitute a Business Day.
2
“Calendar Quarter” means the respective periods of three (3) consecutive calendar months ending on March 31, June 30, September 30 or December 31 during the Term or the applicable part thereof during the first or last calendar quarter of the Term.
“CCPA” means the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018, as amended from time to time.
“cGMP” means the current Good Manufacturing Practices officially published and interpreted by EMA, FDA and other applicable Regulatory Authorities that may be in effect from time to time and are applicable to the Manufacture of the Compounds.
“Change of Control” means, with respect to a Party, a transaction or series of related transactions with a Third Party(ies) involving: (i) the acquisition, merger, reorganization, combination or consolidation, directly or indirectly, of such Party that results in the beneficial owners of the voting securities or other voting interests of such Party immediately prior to such transaction, directly or indirectly, as applicable, ceasing to hold beneficial ownership of at least fifty percent (50%) of the combined voting power of the surviving or continuing company or the applicable parent of the surviving or continuing entity immediately after such transaction; (ii) the sale or transfer to a Third Party of assets (including equity interests of any Subsidiary) or business of such Party or its Subsidiary(ies) representing fifty percent (50%) or more of the such Party’s consolidated assets or to which fifty percent (50%) or more of such Party’s revenues or net income on a consolidated basis are attributable; or (iii) a person, or group of persons acting in concert, acquires fifty percent (50%) or more of the voting equity securities or management control of such Party.
“Clinical Data” means all data (including raw data) and results generated under the Study, including all efficacy, safety (including any patient reported outcome), tolerability, biomarker information, pharmacokinetics and anti-drug antibody data, and all reports submitted by Study site(s) to Olema pursuant to the Study; provided, however, the term “Clinical Data” excludes medical records of Study subjects. Clinical Data may include Personal Data.
“Clinical Hold” means that (a) the FDA has issued an order pursuant to 21 CFR §312.42 to delay a proposed clinical investigation or to suspend an ongoing clinical investigation of a Combination or a Compound in the United States or (b) a Regulatory Authority other than the FDA has issued an equivalent order to that set forth in (a) in any other country or group of countries.
“Clinical Study” means a study in which human subjects or patients are dosed with a drug, whether approved or investigational, including any Phase I Clinical Study, Phase II Clinical Study, Phase III Clinical Study, pivotal study, phase IV study or compassionate use program inclusive of pre-approval access programs.
“CMC” means Chemistry Manufacturing and Controls.
“CMC Data” means the complete CMC components of the Clinical Trial Application (CTA) for the Novartis Compound.
“Combination” means the combination of either (i) the Novartis Compound and the Olema Compound (the “Olema Combination”), or (ii) the Novartis Compound and Letrozole (the “Letrozole Combination”), and the use or method of concomitant or sequential administration of the Compounds identified in clause (i) or the Compounds identified in clause (ii).
3
“Commercialize” or “Commercializing” means (a) to market, promote, distribute, offer for sale, sell, have sold, import or export for commercial purposes or otherwise commercialize a pharmaceutical or biologic product; (b) to conduct activities, other than Research, Development and Manufacturing, in preparation for the foregoing activities, including obtaining pricing and reimbursement approval; or (c) to conduct post-Regulatory Approval studies (including without limitation Clinical Studies). When used as a noun, “Commercialization” means any activities involved in Commercializing. “Commercialization” excludes Research, Development and Manufacturing.
“Compound” means any one of the Novartis Compound, the Olema Compound or Letrozole. Compounds means two or more of the Olema Compound, the Novartis Compound and Letrozole, as applicable.
“Confidential Information” means any information, Know-How or other proprietary information or materials furnished to one Party by the other Party pursuant to this Agreement, except to the extent that receiving Party can demonstrate by contemporaneous tangible records or other competent proof that such information or materials: (a) was already known to the receiving Party, other than under an obligation of confidentiality, at the time of disclosure by the other Party; (b) was generally available to the public or otherwise part of the public domain at the time of its disclosure to the receiving Party; (c) became generally available to the public or otherwise part of the public domain after its disclosure and other than through any act or omission of the receiving Party in breach of this Agreement; (d) was disclosed to the receiving Party by a Third Party who had no obligation to the disclosing Party not to disclose such information to others; or (e) was independently developed by the receiving Party without use or reference to the Confidential Information of the other Party. For the avoidance of doubt and without limiting the generality of the foregoing, Confidential Information includes the Clinical Data, Assay Results and Sample Results, all of which are and shall be the Confidential Information of both Novartis and Olema.
For the avoidance of doubt, any information relating to the Study or the Parties respective rights or obligations under this Agreement previously disclosed by the Parties pursuant to the Confidentiality Agreement entered into by the Parties on [***] (as amended from time to time, the “CDA”) is and shall be Confidential Information under this Agreement, and as of the Effective Date shall be subject to the terms of this Agreement (including Article 10 hereof), and shall no longer be subject to the CDA.
“Continuing Party” has the meaning set forth in Section 11.1.2.
“Cover” or “Covering” means, with respect to a particular Patent claim and a particular technology or product (or component thereof), that the practice by an unauthorized Person of such product, component or technology (including the manufacture, use, offer for sale, sale or importation of such technology, product or component thereof) would infringe such Patent claim and, for purposes of determining such infringement, considering claims of pending patent applications as if they have already been issued.
“CRO” means any Third Party contract research organization used to conduct or assist in the conduct of the Study, including laboratories and Third Parties used to maintain the safety database from the Study, but, for clarity, excluding the Trial Sites.
4
“CTA” means an application to a Regulatory Authority for purposes of requesting the ability to start or continue a clinical trial.
“Data Protection Laws” means all worldwide data protection and privacy laws, rules, regulations, and orders of any jurisdiction or subdivision thereof relating to the privacy, security, confidentiality or integrity of Personal Data, including the EU Data Protection Law and HIPAA.
“Data Room” has the meaning set forth in Section 6.1.2
“Data Sharing Agreement” means a data sharing/processing agreement entered into between the Parties in substantially the same form as set forth in Appendix D.
“Defending Party” has the meaning set forth in Section 15.2.3.
“Delivery” has the meaning set forth in Section 9.2.1.
“Develop” or “Developing” means to conduct or have conducted nonclinical and clinical drug development activities, whether before or after Regulatory Approval, including with respect to drug metabolism, toxicology, pharmacology, test method development, conduct of in vitro and animal studies, stability testing, process and packaging development and improvement, process validation, process scale-up, formulation development, delivery system development, quality assurance and quality control development, statistical analysis, conduct of Clinical Studies, regulatory affairs, the preparation and submission of Regulatory Documentation, Clinical Study regulatory activities, and any other activities directed towards obtaining Regulatory Approval of a product (but excluding for clarity and pharmacokinetics and translational research). When used as a noun, “Development” means any activities involved in Developing. “Development” excludes Research, Commercialization and Manufacturing.
“Dispute” has the meaning set forth in Section 17.8.1.
“Effective Date” has the meaning set forth in the preamble.
“EMA” means the European Medicines Agency, or a successor Regulatory Authority thereto having similar responsibilities with respect to pharmaceutical products.
“EU Data Protection Law” means (i) the GDPR; (ii) the EU e-Privacy Directive (Directive 2002/58/EC); and (iii) any and all applicable national data protection laws made under or pursuant to (i) or (ii); in each case as may be amended or superseded from time to time.
“Executive Officers” means (i) with respect to Olema, its [***] (or designee), and (ii) with respect to Novartis, its [***] (or designee).
“Exploit” or “Exploiting” means to make, have made, import, use, sell, offer for sale, Research, Develop, Manufacture or Commercialize or have others do the same. When used as a noun, “Exploitation” means any activities involved in Exploiting.
“FCPA” has the meaning set forth in Section 14.3.1.
5
“FDA” means the United States Food and Drug Administration or any successor entity thereto.
“Filing Party” has the meaning set forth in Section 11.1.2.
“GDPR” means Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 April 2016 on the protection of natural persons with respect to the processing of Personal Data and on the free movement of such data, and any implementing directive or related legislation, rule, regulation, and regulatory guidance, as amended, extended, repealed and replaced, or re-enacted from time-to-time.
“Good Clinical Practices” or “GCP” means, as to the United States and the European Union, applicable good clinical practices as in effect in the United States and the European Union, respectively, during the Term and, with respect to any other jurisdiction, clinical practices equivalent to good clinical practices as then in effect in the United States or the European Union. Good Clinical Practices for the United States or the European Union include, the Good Clinical Practices officially published by EMA, FDA and the International Conference on Harmonisation of Technical Requirements for Registration of Pharmaceuticals for Human Use (ICH), as in effect from time to time and applicable to the testing of Novartis Compound, the Olema Compound or Letrozole.
“Good Laboratory Practices” or “GLP” means, as to the United States and the European Union, applicable good laboratory practices as in effect in the United States and the European Union, respectively, during the Term and, with respect to any other jurisdiction, laboratory practices equivalent to good laboratory practices as then in effect in the United States or the European Union.
“Good Manufacturing Practices” or “GMP” means, as to the United States and the European Union, applicable good manufacturing practices as in effect in the United States and the European Union, respectively, during the Term and, with respect to any other jurisdiction, manufacturing practices equivalent to good manufacturing practices as then in effect in the United States or the European Union.
“Government Official” means: (i) any officer or employee of: (a) a government, or any department or agency thereof; (b) a government-owned or controlled company, institution, or other entity, including a government-owned hospital or university; or (c) a public international organization (such as the United Nations, the International Monetary Fund, the International Committee of the Red Cross, and the World Health Organization), or any department or agency thereof; and (ii) any person acting in an official capacity on behalf of any of the foregoing.
“Governmental Authority” means any national, international, federal, state, provincial or local government, or political subdivision thereof, any multinational organization or any authority, agency or commission entitled to exercise any administrative, executive, judicial, legislative, police, regulatory or taxing authority or power, any court or any tribunal (or any department, bureau or division thereof, or any governmental arbitrator or arbitral body).
“HIPAA” means United States Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, as amended from time to time.
“ICF” has the meaning set forth in Section 4.2.
6
“IND” means (a) an Investigational New Drug Application as defined in the United States Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, as amended, and regulations promulgated thereunder, or any successor application or procedure required to initiate clinical testing of a drug in humans in the United States, (b) a counterpart of such an Investigational New Drug Application that is required in any other country before beginning clinical testing of a drug in humans in such country, including, for clarity, a “Clinical Trial Application” in the European Union, and (c) all supplements and amendments to any of the foregoing.
“Information Management Policies and Standards” means policies and standards to ensure confidentiality, integrity, availability and protection of Protected Data in each Party’s respective Party Environment. Information Management Policies and Standards includes, at a minimum, the requirements set forth in Appendix B (Minimum Information Security Management Standards) and shall follow applicable Security Industry Practice.
“Intellectual Property” means Inventions and any Patent Covering such Invention, and Study Know-How.
“Internal Compliance Codes” has the meaning set forth in Section 14.4.2.
“Inventions” means all inventions and discoveries, whether patentable, which are made or conceived in the performance of the Study or which are made or conceived by a Party through use of the Clinical Data, Samples, Sample Results, or Assay Results.
“Joint Intellectual Property” or “Joint IP” has the meaning set forth in Section 11.1.1.
“Joint Invention” has the meaning set forth in Section 11.1.1.
“Joint Patent” means a patent that issues from a Joint Patent Application.
“Joint Patent Application” has the meaning set forth in Section 11.1.2.
“Know-How” means any proprietary invention, innovation, improvement, development, discovery, computer program, device, trade secret, method, know-how, process, technique or the like, including manufacturing, use, process, structural, operational and other related data and information, whether or not written or otherwise fixed in any form or medium, regardless of the media on which contained and whether or not patentable or copyrightable, that is not generally known or otherwise in the public domain.
“Letrozole” means the small molecule nonsteroidal aromatase inhibitor that is the active ingredient included in the product sold as Letrozole® or under the brand name Femara® as of the Effective Date.
“Letrozole Class Compound” means any small or large molecule that is a nonsteroidal aromatase inhibitor.
“Liability” has the meaning set forth in Section 15.2.1.
“Manufacture,” “Manufactured,” or “Manufacturing” means to engage in activities related to production, manufacture, synthesis, processing, filling, finishing, packaging, labeling, shipping and holding of product or any intermediate thereof, including process development, process qualification and validation, scale-up, commercial manufacture and analytic development, product characterization, stability testing, quality assurance and quality control, including all development activities enabling Regulatory Approval of Manufacturing.
7
When used as a noun, “Manufacturing” means any of the foregoing activities. “Manufacturing” refers to both nonclinical and clinical Manufacturing for Research and Development, and Manufacturing for Commercialization or future business or regulatory requirements.
“Manufacturing Site” means the facilities where a Compound is Manufactured by or on behalf of a Party, as such Manufacturing Site may change from time to time in accordance with Section 9.4 (Changes to Manufacturing).
“NDA” has the meaning given in Section 6.2.2.
“Non-Conformance” means, with respect to a given unit of Compound, (i) an event that deviates from an approved cGMP requirement with respect to the applicable Compound, such as a procedure, Specification, or operating parameter, or that requires an investigation to assess impact to the quality of the applicable Compound or (ii) that such Compound failed to meet the applicable representations and warranties set forth in Section 2.2. Classification of a Non-Conformance for the Novartis Compound is detailed in the Quality Agreement.
“Non-filing Party” has the meaning set forth in Section 11.1.2.
“Novartis” has the meaning set forth in the preamble.
“Novartis Class Compound” means any small or large molecule that is a CDK 4/6 inhibitor.
“Novartis Compound” means ribociclib and any drug candidate or product containing such compound, excluding, however, any generic version of ribociclib other than a generic version owned or controlled by Novartis or its Affiliate.
“Novartis Confidential Information” has the meaning set forth in Section 10.3.
“Olema” has the meaning set forth in the preamble.
“Olema Board” has the meaning given in Section 6.2.1.
“Olema Change of Control” means a Change of Control of Olema (excluding, for such purposes, an Olema Compound Transaction).
“Olema Class Compound” means any small molecule estrogen receptor antagonist or selective estrogen receptor degrader.
“Olema Compound” means Olema’s proprietary OP-1250 compound, or metabolite thereof, which inhibits the estrogen receptor, and any drug candidate or product containing OP-1250 or any metabolite or salt thereof.
“Olema Compound Agreement” has the meaning set forth in Section 6.1.2.
“Olema Compound Assets” means (a) the Olema Compound, (b) the Related Compounds, and (c) any and all Intellectual Property Rights, including Patents, Covering or relating to the Olema Compound or the Related Compounds.
8
Olema Compound Assets include the Olema Inventions and Olema’s interest in the Joint Inventions.
“Olema Compound Transaction” the meaning set forth in Section 6.1.1.
“Opting-out Party” has the meaning set forth in Section 11.1.2.
“Other Party” has the meaning set forth in Section 15.2.3.
“Party” has the meaning set forth in the preamble.
“Party’s Environment” means any Party’s information technology system or infrastructure managed by or on behalf of Party, Party affiliate or Party sub-contractor accessible to other Party.
“Party Specific Regulations” has the meaning set forth in Section 14.4.2.
“Patent(s)” means (a) all letters patent, certificates of invention, applications for certificates of invention, statutory invention registrations, priority patent filings and patent applications, including provisionals; and (b) any renewal, division, continuation (in whole or in part), or Request for Continued Examination (RCE) of any such patents, certificates of invention, statutory invention registrations and patent applications, and any and all patents or certificates of invention issuing thereon; and (c) any and all reissues, reexaminations, extensions, substitutions, confirmations, registrations, revalidations, revisions, all supplementary protection certificates associated therewith, and additions of or to any of the foregoing.
“Permitted Uses” means the following activities: (i) seeking Regulatory Approval for the Study or for the use of a Compound in the Study, (ii) [***], (iii) [***], (iv) the independent development or commercialization of a Party’s Compound, and (v) [***].
“Person” means any individual, partnership, limited liability company, firm, corporation, association, trust, unincorporated organization, Governmental Authority or other entity.
“Personal Data” means all information in connection with this Agreement or the Study that relates to a person where that person can be identified, whether directly or indirectly (e.g., a medical insurance number, position in a company or by means of a study code assigned in a clinical trial). For the avoidance of doubt, biological samples identifiable to a person are Personal Data.
“Pharmacovigilance Agreement” has the meaning set forth in Article 5.
“Phase I Clinical Study” means a human clinical trial of a product, the principal purpose of which is a preliminary determination of safety in healthy individuals or patients, as described in 21 C.F.R. 312.21(a) (as amended or any replacement thereof).
“Phase II Clinical Study” means a human clinical trial of a product, the principal purpose of which is a determination of safety and efficacy in the target patient population, as described in 21 C.F.R. 312.21(b) (as amended or any replacement thereof).
9
“Phase III Clinical Study” means a human clinical trial of a product, the design of which is acknowledged by the FDA to be sufficient for such clinical trial to satisfy the requirements of 21 C.F.R. 312.21(c) (as amended or any replacement thereof), or a similar human clinical trial, the design of which is acknowledged by the Regulatory Authority in a country or jurisdiction other than the United States to be sufficient for such clinical trial to satisfy the requirements of a pivotal efficacy and safety clinical trial.
“Project Manager(s)” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.8.
“Proposed Sale” has the meaning given in Section 6.2.1.
“Protected Information” means Clinical Data, Confidential Information, Protocol, CMC Data, Know-How, Specifications and Personal Data.
“Protocol” means the written documentation that describes the Study and sets forth specific activities to be performed under the Study, as it may be amended from time to time in accordance with this Agreement. Once agreed by the Parties and approved by applicable Regulatory Authorities, the Protocol shall be attached to this Agreement as Appendix A-2. A synopsis of the Protocol as of the Effective Date is attached to this Agreement as Appendix A‑1.
“Quality Agreement” has the meaning set forth in Section 9.10.
“Regulatory Approvals” means any and all permissions (other than approvals that are required to Manufacture a Party’s Compound in accordance with Applicable Law) required to be obtained from Regulatory Authorities and any other competent authority for the development, registration, importation and distribution of a Compound in the United States, Europe or other applicable jurisdictions for use in humans.
“Regulatory Authorities” means the FDA or any governmental authority outside the United States (whether supranational, national, federal, provincial or local) that is the counterpart to the FDA, including the European Medicines Agency for the European Union.
“Related Agreement(s)” means the Pharmacovigilance Agreement, the Data Sharing Agreement (if applicable) or the Quality Agreement.
“Related Compound” means, with respect to the Olema Compound, (a) any salt, polymorph, amorphous form, clathrates, crystal, cocrystal, deuterated form, prodrug, ester, hydrate, or solvate of the Olema Compound, or (b) any stereoisomer, tautomer or conformer of or metabolite generated by or derived from the Olema Compound or any of the compounds described in clause (a).
“Repayment Amount” means the product of (a) two hundred and seventy-two million, five hundred ninety-one thousand, four hundred seventeen US Dollars ($272,591,417) and (b) the quotient obtained by dividing (x) the number of units of Novartis Compound actually supplied to Olema under this Agreement as of immediately prior to the Repayment Trigger Event by (y) [***].
“Repayment Trigger Event” means the first to occur of: (i) completion of an Olema Change of Control; (ii) completion of an Olema Compound Transaction with a Third Party; and (iii) termination of this Agreement by Novartis in accordance with Section 7.3.
10
“Representatives” means, with respect to a Person, their employees, directors, officers, sublicensees, subcontractors, agents and advisors.
“Research” means to conduct activities related to the synthesis, discovery, identification, screening, optimization, design, profiling and characterization of compounds. When used as a noun, “Research” means any activities involved in conducting Research. “Research” excludes (a) Development; (b) Commercialization; and (c) Manufacturing.
“ROFN” means the right of first negotiation set forth in Section 6.1.
“ROFN Election Notice” has the meaning set forth in Section 6.1.2
“ROFN Election Period” has the meaning set forth in Section 6.1.2.
“ROFN MFN Notice” has the meaning set forth in Section 6.1.3.
“ROFN Negotiation Notice” has the meaning set forth in Section 6.1.2.
“ROFN Negotiation Period” has the meaning set forth in Section 6.1.2.
“ROFN Scope” has the meaning set forth in Section 6.1.3.
“ROFO” means the right of first offer set forth in Section 6.2.
“ROFO Notice” has the meaning given in Section 6.2.1.
“ROFO Option Period” has the meaning given in Section 6.2.2.
“Samples” means urine, blood, tissue, or other bodily fluid samples collected from patients participating in the Study.
“Sample Results” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.6.1.
“SAP” has the meaning set forth in Section 4.4.
“Security Incident” means an event which may impact confidentiality, integrity or availability of Protected Information or the Novartis Environment.
“Security Industry Practice” means current and applicable practices as defined in the International Organization for Standardization (ISO/IEC) ISO/IEC ISO27001, ISO/IEC 27002:2013, SSAE-18, ISAE3402, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) NIST 800-53, the Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP) Guide to Building Secure Web Applications, and the Center for Internet Security (CIS) Standards (or any successor to these security standards) relevant for the services provided under this Agreement.
“SHE” has the meaning set forth in Section 9.2.1.
“Specifications” means, with respect to a given Compound, the set of requirements for such Compound as set forth in applicable submissions to Regulatory Authorities in connection with development of such Compound and, in the case of the Novartis Compound, provided by Novartis to Olema.
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“Study” means the Phase III Clinical Study titled A Phase 3 Randomized, Open-label Study of Palazestrant (OP-1250) with Ribociclib vs. Letrozole with Ribociclib for the Treatment of Participants with ER+, HER2- Advanced or Metastatic Breast Cancer Who Have Not Received Prior Therapy for Advanced Disease (OPERA-02), to be conducted by Olema pursuant to and in accordance with this Agreement and the Protocol. The Study may also be referred to as OPERA-02.
“Study Completion” means the date when all of the following have occurred: (a) final lock of the Study database, (b) completion of analysis of whether Study endpoints have been met, and (c) submission of the Clinical Study Report to the applicable Regulatory Authority.
“Study Know-How” means all Know-How (1) made or conceived in the performance of the Study, or (2) made or conceived by a Party through use of the Clinical Data, Samples, Sample Results or Assay Results.
“Subsidiary” means, with respect to any specified Person, any other Person controlled by such specified Person, directly or indirectly, through one or more intermediaries.
“Term” has the meaning set forth in Section 7.1.
“Territory” means the countries listed in Appendix E, as it may be amended by the Parties from time-to-time during the term of this Agreement.
“Third Party” means any person or entity other than Olema, Novartis or their respective Affiliates.
“Third Party CRO” means a Third Party retained by Olema or its Affiliates or Novartis or its Affiliates (as applicable), whose primary business is providing contract Research, Development or Manufacturing services, for the benefit of the applicable Party, and who is not (nor are its Affiliates) in the business of Commercializing pharmaceutical or biologic products.
“Trial Site” means any clinical site where the Study is conducted.
“VAT” has the meaning set forth in Section 9.13.
Section 1.2. Construction. The Parties agree that the terms of this Agreement are the result of negotiations between the Parties and that this Agreement shall not be construed in favor of or against either Party by reason of the extent to which such Party participated in the preparation of this Agreement. Except where the context otherwise requires, wherever used, the singular will include the plural, the plural the singular, the use of any gender will be applicable to all genders, and the word “or” is used in the inclusive sense (and/or). Whenever this Agreement refers to a number of days, unless otherwise specified, such number refers to calendar days. The captions of this Agreement are for convenience of reference only and in no way define, describe, extend or limit the scope or intent of this Agreement or the intent of any provision contained in this Agreement. The term “including” as used herein shall be deemed to be followed by the phrase “without limitation” or like expression. The term “will” as used herein means shall. References to “Article,” “Section” or “Appendix” are references to the numbered sections of this Agreement and the appendices attached to this Agreement, unless expressly stated otherwise. Except where the context otherwise requires, references to this “Agreement” shall include the appendices attached to this Agreement.
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ARTICLE 2. GENERAL PRINCIPLES.
Section 2.1. Standard of Performance. Each Party agrees to (i) act in good faith in performing its obligations under this Agreement, (ii) perform its obligations under this Agreement carefully and accurately, with qualified staff and on the basis of sound scientific principles and in compliance with all Applicable Laws, including GCP, GLP and GMP, as applicable, and (iii) shall notify the other Party as promptly as possible if a Manufacturing delay that is likely to adversely affect supply of (1) with respect to Novartis, the Novartis Compound, and (2) with respect to Olema, the supply of the Olema Compound or the supply of Letrozole, in each case (1) and (2) as contemplated by this Agreement.
Section 2.2. Manufacturing Representations and Warranties.
2.2.1 Novartis agrees to [***] Manufacture and supply the Novartis Compound for purposes of the Study as set forth in Article 9. Novartis represents and warrants to Olema that, at the time of Delivery of the Novartis Compound, the Novartis Compound shall [***]. For the avoidance of doubt, the Novartis Compound is provided solely for use in the Study and is restricted to use in patients in the Study with advanced or metastatic breast cancer pursuant to the Protocol.
2.2.2 Olema agrees to Manufacture and supply the Olema Compound for purposes of the Study as set forth in Article 9. Olema represents and warrants to Novartis that, at the time of use of the Olema Compound, the Olema Compound shall [***].
2.2.3 Olema agrees to supply Letrozole for purposes of the Study as set forth in Article 9. Olema represents and warrants to Novartis that, at the time of use of Letrozole in the Study, it shall [***].
2.2.4 Novartis represents and warrants to Olema that, at the time of Delivery of the Novartis Compound, the Novartis Compound shall [***].
2.2.5 Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, each Party is responsible for obtaining all regulatory approvals (including facility licenses) that are required to Manufacture its Compound in accordance with Applicable Law. For the avoidance of any doubt, Olema shall be responsible for (1) obtaining Regulatory Approvals for the Study as set forth in Section 3.3, and (2) obtaining or confirming that all regulatory approvals (if any) and other required documentation with respect to the Manufacture of Letrozole and its use in the Study have been obtained.
Section 2.3. Subcontractors. Each Party shall have the right to subcontract any portion of its obligations hereunder: to (i) its own Affiliates or to Third Party CROs, without the other Party’s written consent; and (ii) to Third Parties (other than Third Party CROs), provided that the other Party’s Project Manager has approved (in a written document, not to be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed) the use of such Third Parties in the performance of such obligations. Each Party shall remain solely and fully liable for the performance of its subcontractors. Each Party shall ensure that each of its Affiliates and subcontractors performs its obligations and grants all rights to the other Party pursuant to the terms of this Agreement, including the Appendices attached hereto. Each Party shall obtain and maintain copies of documents relating to the obligations performed by such Affiliates or subcontractors that are held by or under the control of such Affiliates or subcontractors and that are required to be provided to the other Party under this Agreement.
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Section 2.4. [***].
[***].
Section 2.5. Other Studies.
Nothing in this Agreement shall (i) prohibit either Party from performing clinical studies other than the Study relating to its own Compound, either individually or in combination with any other compound or product, in any therapeutic area, or (ii) create an exclusive relationship between the Parties with respect to any Compound.
ARTICLE 3. CONDUCT OF THE STUDY.
Section 3.1. Sponsor of Study. Olema shall act as the sponsor of the Study and shall hold the IND/CTA or equivalent in all jurisdictions where the Study will be conducted; provided, however, that Olema may not grant any Third Party any right of cross-reference with respect to any portion of the Study or any portion of the IND/CTA submission containing information about the Novartis Compound or data generated through use of the Novartis Compound. Olema shall provide Novartis with drafts of all INDs, CTAs, meeting packages and other relevant documents prior to submission to Regulatory Authority(-ies), at least [***] or shorter as agreed with the Novartis team prior to Olema’s planned submission date. Novartis shall have the right (but not the obligation) to review and provide Olema with comments to any such draft submissions to Regulatory Authority(-ies) within such [***] review period. Olema shall (a) incorporate comments which relate to the Novartis Compound, (b) consider in good faith any other Novartis comments, and (c) provide Novartis with the final, as submitted, versions of such documentation within [***] after its submission to the applicable Regulatory Authority.
Section 3.2. Performance. Unless otherwise agreed by Novartis in writing, Olema shall commence the Study on or prior to [***]. Olema shall ensure that the Study is performed in accordance with this Agreement, the Protocol and all Applicable Law. Olema shall conduct the Study only in the Territory. Olema may not enter into any site agreement or CRO agreement for a country until the country is on Appendix E, as may be amended by the Parties from time to time in accordance with this Agreement.
Section 3.3. Compliance and Regulatory Discussions; Rights of Reference.
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3.3.1 Olema shall ensure that all Regulatory Approvals from any Regulatory Authority or ethics committee with jurisdiction over the Study are obtained prior to initiating the Study and shall ensure that all applicable directions from such Regulatory Authorities and ethics committees are followed. Olema shall participate in and lead all discussions with any Regulatory Authority regarding the Study, provided, however, that Novartis shall have the right (but not the obligation) to participate in any discussions (to the extent permitted under Applicable Law) with a Regulatory Authority regarding matters related to the Novartis Compound, including use of the Novartis Compound in the Olema Combination or the Letrozole Combination. Olema will promptly (and no later than [***] after receipt by Olema) provide Novartis with a copy of any correspondence, written reports (or excerpts thereof) it receives from Regulatory Authorities related to the Novartis Compound or its use in the Study, including its use for the Olema Combination or the Letrozole Combination, and shall provide Novartis with draft copies of any responses to Regulatory Authorities that may relate to the Novartis Compound or its use in the Study, including in the Olema Combination or the Letrozole Combination, at least [***] prior to submission to any Regulatory Authority, unless a shorter period of time is required by the applicable Regulatory Authority, in which case Olema will provide draft copies of any responses to such Regulatory Authorities as soon as reasonably practicable prior to submission. Novartis shall have the right (but not the obligation) to review and provide Olema with comments to any such responses to Regulatory Authority within such [***] review period, provided, however, that if a shorter period of time is required by a Regulatory Authority, Novartis will provide comments in a manner consistent with timelines required by such Regulatory Authority. Olema shall (a) incorporate comments containing information about the Novartis Compound, (b) consider in good faith any other Novartis comments, and (c) not submit any such response to a Regulatory Authority which may relate to the Novartis Compound or its use in the Study, including in the Olema Combination or the Letrozole Combination, without Novartis’ prior written consent.
3.3.2 Novartis shall provide such support to Olema as Olema may reasonably request in connection with Olema’s preparation and initial IND/CTA submissions to Regulatory Authorities with respect to the Novartis Compound or its use in the Study, which support may include providing cross-reference rights with respect to the Novartis Compound, and the submission of quality documentation with respect to the Novartis Compound. Novartis shall have the right, but not the obligation, to review Olema-prepared benefits/risks documentation and IND summaries, and to assist Olema in responding to questions from Regulatory Authorities. Novartis shall have the right, but not the obligation, to provide such support to Olema as Olema may reasonably request with respect to the maintenance of regulatory materials relating to the Novartis Compound or its use in the Study, including use of the Novartis Compound for the Olema Combination or the Letrozole Combination. Novartis shall also have the right, but not the obligation, to attend meetings with Regulatory Authorities regarding the Novartis Compound or its use in the Study (to the extent permitted under Applicable Law), and to assist Olema in providing written responses to questions from Regulatory Authorities relating to the Novartis Compound.
3.3.3 Novartis hereby grants to Olema a non-exclusive, non-transferable [***] “right of reference or use” (as defined in US FDA 21 CFR §314.3(b)), or similar “right of reference” as defined in Applicable Laws in the relevant part of the Territory, to permit FDA and such other applicable Regulatory Authorities to cross-reference the appropriate INDs and CTAs for the Novartis Compound solely to the extent necessary for Olema to obtain Regulatory Approval for the IND and CTA(s) for the Study and to conduct the Study; provided, however, that, [***]. Novartis will provide any documentation necessary to effect such right of reference upon request by Olema in order to allow Olema to timely make filings to any Regulatory Authority. [***].
3.3.4 Novartis hereby grants to Olema a non-exclusive, non-transferable [***] “right of reference or use” (as defined in US FDA 21 CFR 314.3(b)), or similar “right of reference” as defined in Applicable Laws in the relevant part of the Territory, with respect to Clinical Data and results related to the Olema Compound and the Olema Combination, solely as necessary for Olema to prepare, submit and maintain regulatory submissions related to the Olema Compound, and Regulatory Approvals related to the Olema Compound and the Olema Combination; provided, however, that, [***]. [***].
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3.3.5 Olema hereby grants Novartis a non-exclusive, non-transferable [***] “right of reference” (as defined in US FDA 21 CFR 314.3(b)), or similar “right of reference” as defined in applicable regulations in the relevant part of the Territory, with respect to Clinical Data and results related to the Novartis Compound, Letrozole, the Olema Combination or the Letrozole Combination, solely as necessary for Novartis to prepare, submit and maintain regulatory submissions related to the Novartis Compound, and Regulatory Approvals related to the Novartis Compound, the Olema Combination and the Letrozole Combination.
3.3.6 Each Party shall provide the other Party, or the applicable Regulatory Authority, with a cross-reference letter or similar communication to effectuate the rights of reference set forth in Sections 3.3.2, 3.3.3, 3.3.4, and 3.3.5, as applicable, and shall execute any additional documents or instruments necessary to allow such cross-referencing.
3.3.7 Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, neither Party shall have any right to access the other Party’s CMC data with respect to its Compound. Novartis will authorize FDA and other applicable Regulatory Authorities to cross-reference the appropriate Novartis Compound INDs or CTAs if and to the extent necessary to support conduct of the Study. Olema shall have no right to directly access the CMC Data. Novartis shall provide to applicable Regulatory Authorities such documents and information as may be requested by a Regulatory Authority, to the extent such documents and information are reasonably available to Novartis.
Section 3.4. Reports and Documentation. Olema shall maintain reports and all related documentation (paper or electronic) in good scientific manner, consistent with industry standards and in compliance with Applicable Law. Each Party shall provide to the other any Study information and documentation reasonably requested by such other Party to enable the requesting Party to (i) comply with its legal and regulatory obligations, or any request by any Regulatory Authority, in each case, to the extent related to the Study, to such Party’s Compound or to Letrozole, (ii) satisfy its contractual obligations to a subcontractor engaged pursuant to Section 2.3 hereof, and (iii) in the case of Novartis, determine whether the Study has been performed by Olema in accordance with this Agreement, including the Protocol.
Section 3.5. Access to Clinical Data and BIRC Reports.
3.5.1 Subject to Section 3.7, Olema shall provide Novartis with copies of all Clinical Data, in electronic (or other agreed) form, [***] each of which shall be delivered to Novartis promptly, and in any event within [***] following receipt by Olema thereof (provided always, that, Olema will have no obligation to provide Novartis with Clinical Data that could compromise the data integrity of the Study), (b) as reasonably requested by Novartis (which requests shall not be more than [***]), including in order to enable Novartis to (i) track Study progress, (ii) support publications or activities needed to achieve Study Completion, or (iii) to support interpretation of Clinical Data and to conduct safety and efficacy analyses, or (c) as otherwise agreed by the Project Managers. Olema will provide Novartis with a complete copy of all Clinical Data no later than [***]. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if there is a significant safety signal, Olema must notify Novartis immediately, but in no event later than [***] after becoming aware of the safety signal.
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3.5.2 Olema shall be responsible for obtaining an ICF signed by or on behalf of each human Study subject, which shall permit Novartis and its designees and applicable Government Officials to review raw Clinical Data, including original Study subject records. The ICF shall contain appropriate clauses to permit the use of such Clinical Data, Samples Results and Assay Results for future research for any lawful purposes in all fields of use including: (i) research related to the Novartis Compound, the Olema Compound and Letrozole, (ii) research relating to the disease state or treatment for which the Clinical Data, Samples, Sample Results or Assay Results were collected, (iii) validation of techniques or assays, and (iv) regulatory purposes (collectively “Future Use”). The ICF shall also permit sharing of Clinical Data, Samples Results and Assay Results with (a) Novartis, its Affiliates and Third Party collaborators or licensees, and (b) any successors and assigns of either Party for such Future Use. In obtaining and documenting the Study subject informed consent, Olema shall comply with applicable regulatory requirement(s) and adhere to all Applicable Laws.
3.5.3 Olema shall be responsible for obtaining authorization permitting the disclosure of subject information in connection with the Study, any alteration to or waiver of any subject, and any matter involving questions of human subject protections, from the appropriate Regulatory Authority or ethics committee with jurisdiction over the Study prior to commencement of and during the performance of the Study. If the Regulatory Authority or ethics committee requires changes to the ICF related to the Novartis compound safety language shall not be implemented until Novartis is notified by Olema and gives its approval to Olema. Notwithstanding the foregoing, changes to the ICF that are required by the Regulatory Authority or ethics committee may be implemented prior to notifying Novartis, provided that said changes are required for Study subject’s immediate health, safety or welfare; and provided, further, Olema shall as soon as practicable under the circumstances notify Novartis of said change to the ICF.
3.5.4 Olema shall ensure that the signed Study subject ICF identifies all anticipated purposes for use of Clinical Data, Samples, Sample Results and Assay Results, and shall ensure that the ICF permits the sharing of Clinical Data, Samples, Samples Results and Assay Results:
(a) with Novartis, its Affiliates and any successors and assigns of either Party, including those located outside the European Economic Area; and
(b) with Regulatory Authorities (of any country or region) for the purpose of regulatory monitoring, audits and inspections.
In obtaining the signed ICF, and documenting the Study patient informed consent, Olema shall adhere to all Applicable Laws, including applicable regulatory requirement(s).
If any patient informed consent for the Study was obtained by Olema prior to Novartis providing Olema with explicit written approval of the content of the ICF, and Novartis determines that the ICF is deficient for any reason, then Olema shall revise or supplement the ICF as directed by Novartis and take all reasonable steps to obtain a revised or supplemental informed consent from the Study subjects.
Section 3.6. Sample Collection and Ownership.
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3.6.1 Samples will be collected in accordance with the Protocol and ICFs. Any use of Samples by either Party must comply with the applicable ICFs. All Samples shall be owned by [***]. Any data arising out of such Sample use in the conduct of the Study or as set forth in the Protocol (the “Sample Results”), and any Intellectual Property rights therein, shall be owned jointly by Novartis and Olema, and each Party shall have the right to use such jointly owned Sample Results and Intellectual Property (if any) without restriction, and without notice to or accounting to the other Party. Samples will be stored for future use in [***] sample repository. If [***], and provided that sufficient quantities of Samples are available and subject to the terms of the applicable ICF and Applicable Law, [***]. To the extent any such tests are performed by [***], [***]. If the Parties agree that they no longer have a use for the Samples, then the remaining Samples will be destroyed pursuant to [***] standard operating procedures for sample retention and destruction, subject to the terms of and permission(s) granted in the ICFs signed by the applicable Study patients, and in accordance with Applicable Laws. If [***] has a continued use for the Samples, and [***] does not, the Parties shall work together to facilitate transfer of any remaining Samples from [***] to [***] or its designee.
3.6.2 The conduct of assays which are proprietary to a Party, or are proprietary to a Third Party conducting the assay on behalf of a Party, shall be the sole responsibility of the Party that owns, controls or has access to the assay or methods of using the assay. The Party conducting the assays (or retaining a Third Party to do so) shall be responsible for all data generation, payment (if applicable) for the conduct of the assays, and shall obtain rights of access and use of all data and results generated pursuant to the performance of the assays (collectively, “Assay Results”) for the other Party in accordance with this Agreement. If necessary, and subject to availability, Novartis agrees to provide sufficient quantities of the Novartis Compound, and Olema agrees to provide sufficient quantities of the Olema Compound and Letrozole, to facilitate interference testing in bioanalytical or proprietary assays to confirm, as applicable, that the Novartis Compound, the Olema Compound or Letrozole (as the case may be), does not interfere with the other Party’s assay performance. Initial experiments may be performed to determine impact to assay performance and will follow a validated protocol or standard operating procedure. Assay Results shall be owned as follows: (a) Assay Results related solely to the Olema Compound shall be owned solely by Olema, (b) Assay Results related solely to the Novartis Compound or to the Letrozole Combination, shall be owned solely by Novartis, and (c) Assay Results related to the Olema Combination shall be jointly owned by the Parties. Except to the extent otherwise agreed in a writing signed by authorized representatives of each Party, each Party shall use the other Party’s Assay Results only for the Permitted Uses, such Party’s independent development, commercialization or other exploitation of its own Compound, and any other use expressly permitted by this Agreement. With respect to jointly owned Assay Results, each Party shall have the right to use such jointly owned Assay Results without restriction, and without notice to or accounting to the other Party.
Section 3.7. Ownership of Clinical Data.
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3.7.1 Subject to Section 3.6 above with respect to ownership of Samples, Sample Results and Assay Results, all Clinical Data, including raw data and results, generated pursuant to this Agreement, shall be jointly owned by Olema and Novartis. Except where expressly provided to the contrary in this Agreement, each Party and its Affiliates, and their respective bona fide service providers, licensees and sublicensees, shall have the worldwide right to use the Clinical Data for the Permitted Uses, and for the Research, Development, Manufacture and Commercialization of its own Compound and for the Olema Combination. It is understood and acknowledged by the Parties that positive Clinical Data may be used (a) by either Party to obtain label changes for its respective Compound alone (e.g., the Olema Compound alone or the Novartis Compound alone), or (b) by either Party to obtain Regulatory Approval for the Olema Combination, or (c) by Novartis to obtain Regulatory Approval for the Letrozole Combination. In such event, the Parties will enter into good faith discussions regarding potential regulatory submission strategies for the Olema Compound or the Novartis Compound, or for the Olema Combination or the Letrozole Combination; provided, however, that nothing in this Agreement shall limit in any way the right of a Party to obtain label changes for its respective Compound alone, or to pursue regulatory submissions of such Party’s Compound alone. Similarly, if either Party believes that reference to data from studies conducted by or on behalf of the other Party (other than the Study) is necessary for such Party to obtain label changes for its Compound, the Parties will discuss in good faith appropriate terms for possible access to or rights to reference such data for such purpose.
3.7.2 Each Party shall, and does hereby, assign, and shall cause its Affiliates to so assign, to the other Party, without additional compensation, such right, title and interest in and to any Clinical Data as is necessary to fully effect the foregoing, and agrees to execute all instruments as may be reasonably necessary to effect same.
Section 3.8. Roles of Project Managers. Each Party shall designate a project manager (a “Project Manager”) who shall be responsible for implementing and coordinating activities and facilitating the exchange of scientific information between the Parties with respect to the Study, including use of Samples pursuant to Section 3.6.1 and the conduct of assays as described in Section 3.6.2. Each Party shall notify the other Party in writing of the identity and contact details of their Project Manager no later than [***] after the Effective Date. The Project Managers shall meet as soon as practicable after the Effective Date and then, except as otherwise agreed by the Parties, not less than [***], and more often as reasonably considered necessary at the request of Novartis, to provide an update on Study progress. Prior to each meeting of the Project Managers, the Olema Project Manager shall provide an update in writing to the Novartis Project Manager, which update shall contain information about overall Study progress, recruitment status, preliminary efficacy, safety and tolerability, available biomarker information and other information relevant to the conduct of the Study. The Olema Project Manager shall supplement the update as necessary to reflect any material information discussed at such meetings. Olema’s Project Manager shall schedule reviews of Clinical Data in accordance with Data Protection Laws and the Data Sharing Agreement (if applicable). Each Party may change i]ts designated Project Manager from time to time by written notice to the other Party. Any Project Manager may designate a substitute to temporarily perform the functions of such Project Manager upon written notice to the other Party’s Project Manager. Each Project Manager will be charged with creating and maintaining a collaborative work environment. Each Project Manager also will:
(a) provide a point of communication both internally within the Parties’ organizations and between the Parties regarding the Study; and
(b) assist in coordinating collaborative efforts under this Agreement, if any, and any external communications; and
(c) be the point of first referral for any disputes arising under this Agreement.
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If a dispute arises and the Project Managers, after good faith efforts, are unable to resolve the dispute within [***] after it is referred to them, the dispute shall be elevated in the first instance to the Parties’ respective Alliance Managers.
Section 3.9. Alliance Manager. Each Party shall appoint an alliance representative (an “Alliance Manager”) who possesses a general understanding of development, regulatory, manufacturing, and commercialization matters. Each Party shall notify the other Party in writing of the identity and contact details of its Alliance Manager as soon as possible (and in any event no later than [***]) after the Effective Date, and in any event prior to the first shipment of Novartis Compound to Olema pursuant to this Agreement. Each Party may change its designated Alliance Manager from time to time by written notice to the other Party. The Alliance Managers will be the point of first referral in all matters relating to the ROFN. If a dispute arises in relation to the rights and obligations set forth in Article 6, or is referred to the Alliance Managers pursuant to Section 3.8, and the Alliance Managers, after good faith efforts, are unable to resolve the dispute within [***] after it is referred to them, it shall be elevated to Olema’s [***] (if such dispute is related to the rights and obligations set forth in Article 6) and to [***], and to Novartis’ [***].
Section 3.10. Supply Chain Representative. Each Party shall appoint a supply chain representative (a “Supply Chain Representative”). Each Party shall notify the other Party in writing of the identity and contact details of its Supply Chain Representative as soon as possible (and in any event no later than [***]) after the Effective Date. Each Party may change its designated Supply Chain Representative from time to time by written notice to the other Party. The Olema Supply Chain Representative shall provide Novartis’ Supply Chain Representative with an initial forecast and an updated rolling quarterly forecast. The Supply Chain Representatives shall review the quantities of Novartis Compound needed for the Study (in accordance with Article 9 and Appendix C) and meet to discuss at an agreed upon frequency, if needed, for the forecast and any other supply chain issues that may arise during the Study. If a dispute arises and the Supply Chain Representatives are unable, after good faith efforts, to resolve the dispute within [***] after the dispute is referred to them, the dispute shall be elevated in the first instance to the Parties’ respective Project Managers.
Section 3.11. Clinical Study Report. Olema (through its Project Manager) shall provide Novartis (through the Novartis Project Manager) with (i) an electronic copy of the draft final Clinical Study Report, and Novartis shall review and provide any comments within ten (10) Business Days after receipt thereof; and (ii) the final version of the Clinical Study Report as submitted to the applicable Regulatory Authority. Olema shall consider in good faith any comments provided by Novartis to the draft final Clinical Study Report, and shall not include any statements relating to the (i) Novartis Compound, (ii) Olema Combination, or (iii) Letrozole Combination which have not been approved by Novartis. Clinical Study Reports may include appropriate redactions for data related solely to the Olema Compound when necessary.
Section 3.12. Future Business Opportunities. Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, each Party acknowledges and agrees that the other Party may have present or future business activities or opportunities, including business activities or opportunities with Third Parties, involving (a) Olema Class Compounds or Letrozole Class Compounds, in the case of Novartis, or (b) Novartis Class Compounds or Letrozole Class Compounds, in the case of Olema, or (c) other similar products, programs, technologies or processes.
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Accordingly, each Party acknowledges and agrees that, subject always to Article 6, nothing in this Agreement shall be construed as a representation or inference that the other Party will not develop for itself, or enter into business relationships with Third Parties regarding, any products, programs, studies (including combination studies), technologies or processes that are similar to or that may compete with the Olema Combination, the Letrozole Combination, or any other product, program, technology or process, including any Olema Class Compound, Novartis Class Compound or Letrozole Class Compound; provided that the Clinical Data, Joint Inventions, and the other Party’s Confidential Information are used only for the Permitted Use and any other use expressly permitted by this Agreement.
Section 3.13. Party Owned Materials. Subject always to Article 6, nothing in this Agreement shall prohibit or restrict a Party from licensing, assigning or otherwise transferring to an Affiliate or Third Party its Compound and its interest in the Clinical Data, Confidential Information or Joint Inventions; provided, however, that (i) [***], and (ii) [***].
ARTICLE 4. PROTOCOL AND RELATED DOCUMENTS.
Section 4.1. Protocol. The Protocol synopsis for the Study is attached as Appendix A-1. The Protocol will be agreed by Novartis and Olema prior to Delivery of the Novartis Compound to Olema. Once agreed and approved, the Protocol will be attached to this Agreement as Appendix A-2. Olema may amend the Protocol from time to time; provided, however, that Olema, through its Project Manager, shall provide a copy of any proposed amendments to the Protocol to Novartis (through the Novartis Project Manager) for review and comment prior to adoption of such amendments. Novartis shall have [***] after its receipt of the proposed Protocol amendment to provide any comments to Olema (through its Project Manager), unless a shorter period of time is required by a Regulatory Authority, in which case Novartis will provide comments in a manner consistent with timelines required by any such Regulatory Authority. Olema shall reasonably consider in good faith any comments provided by Novartis regarding the proposed Protocol amendments, and shall use reasonable efforts to incorporate Novartis’ comments; provided, always, that any material changes to the Protocol (other than those relating solely to the Olema Compound) and any changes (whether or not material) relating to the Novartis Compound, including its use in the Study or in a Combination, shall require Novartis’ prior written consent, not to be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed. For clarity, “material changes” to the Protocol include, (i) the dose and dosing regimen for the Novartis Compound, Letrozole or any Combination, (ii) exclusion criteria or inclusion criteria and other safety measures (including AE management guidelines) applicable to the Novartis Compound, Letrozole or any Combination, and (iii) changes that may impact the quantities of Novartis Compound or Letrozole to be supplied hereunder. Additionally, Olema will not make any changes to the Protocol with regard to the safety information regarding the Novartis Compound or its use in a Combination or for the Study, nor shall Olema make any changes to the Protocol that would affect the amount of Novartis Compound to be supplied hereunder, without the prior written consent of Novartis, such consent not to be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed. Novartis shall provide Olema with the following information about the Novartis Compound: (i) Specifications, (ii) investigator brochure, (iii) standard protocol sections, and (iv) pharmacy manual, and for the avoidance of doubt, Olema shall not change any of the information referenced in clauses (i) – (iv) without Novartis’ prior written consent.
Section 4.2. Patient Informed Consent. Olema shall prepare the patient informed consent form for the Study (“ICF”) in consultation with Novartis, it being understood and agreed that the portion of the ICF relating to the safety of the Novartis Compound will be provided to Olema by Novartis. Olema shall obtain Novartis’ prior written consent prior to using the ICF; provided that such consent right shall be limited to the portion(s) of the ICF relating to the Novartis Compound, the Olema Combination or the Letrozole Combination.
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Any changes to the ICF that relate solely to safety information regarding the Novartis Compound (when used alone or when used in a Combination) shall be subject to Novartis’ review and prior written consent. Any such proposed changes to the ICF will be sent in writing to Novartis’ Project Manager. Novartis will provide such consent, or a written explanation for why such consent is being withheld, within [***] after receiving a copy of Olema’s proposed changes.
Section 4.3. Sunshine Reporting. Olema will be responsible for reporting payments and other transfers of value made to health care professionals (e.g. investigators, steering committee members, data monitoring committee members, consultants, etc.) in connection with the Study in accordance with reporting requirements, if any, under Applicable Law (including the Physician Payment Sunshine Act and analogous state gift laws applicable to the activities hereunder, and the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations Disclosure Code of Transfers of Value) and Olema policies (unless inconsistent with Applicable Law). Novartis shall provide all information required for such reporting regarding the value of the Novartis Compound provided for use in the Study. Such information shall be provided to the point of contact within Olema’s clinical supplies group who is identified to Novartis in writing upon the execution of the Agreement and thereafter promptly following any change to such point of contact. Novartis shall provide the necessary information regarding the value of the Novartis Compound within [***] after the Effective Date. If at any time during the term of this Agreement, the value of the Novartis Compound provided to Olema changes, Novartis shall notify Olema of such revised value, and the effective date of such revised value, within [***] after such change in value.
Section 4.4. Statistical Analysis Plan.
Olema shall provide Novartis with a draft statistical analysis plan (“SAP”) for the Study. Novartis shall have the right, but not the obligation to provide comments to the SAP, such comments (if any) to be provided within [***] after Novartis’ receipt of the draft SAP. Olema shall have the final decision regarding the contents of the SAP; however, Olema shall reasonably consider any comments provided by Novartis regarding the SAP before finalizing. If any material changes are proposed to the Protocol (as defined in Section 4.1 above), Olema shall provide a copy of any proposed amendments to the SAP to Novartis for review and comment, and Olema shall reasonably consider any comments provided by Novartis regarding the proposed amendments to the SAP.
ARTICLE 5. ADVERSE EVENT REPORTING.
Olema will be solely responsible for compliance with all Applicable Law pertaining to safety reporting for the Study and related activities. The Parties (or their respective Affiliates) will execute a pharmacovigilance agreement (the “Pharmacovigilance Agreement”) prior to [***] to ensure the exchange of relevant safety data within appropriate timeframes and in appropriate format to enable the Parties to fulfill local and international regulatory reporting obligations and to facilitate appropriate safety reviews. The Pharmacovigilance Agreement will include safety data exchange procedures governing the coordination of collection, investigation, reporting, and exchange of information concerning any Adverse Events, pregnancy reports, and any other safety information arising from or related to the use of the Compounds in the Study, in accordance with Applicable Law. Such guidelines and procedures shall be in accordance with, and enable the Parties and their Affiliates to fulfill, local and international regulatory reporting obligations to Government Authorities.
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Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, if there is a significant safety signal, Olema must notify Novartis immediately, but in no event later than [***] after Olema becomes aware of the safety signal.
ARTICLE 6. ROFN, ROFO, RIGHT TO RECEIVE NOTICE AND REPAYMENT OBLIGATION.
Section 6.1. Right of First Negotiation.
6.1.1 Except as provided in this Article 6, Olema shall not, and shall cause its Affiliates not to, (a) grant any Person (other than Olema or any of its Affiliates) any right, license or sublicense to Exploit any of the Olema Compound Assets (alone or in combination with any other agent), in any field or territory (or any option to acquire any such right, license or sublicense), other than any such grant to a Third Party service provider for the sole purpose of performing Research, Development or Manufacturing services on behalf of Olema or any of its Affiliates, or (b) sell or otherwise transfer to any Person (other than Olema or any of its Affiliates) any or all of the Olema Compound Assets (or grant any Person (other than Olema or any of its Affiliates) an option to acquire any or all of the Olema Compound Assets) (each of (a) and (b), an “Olema Compound Transaction”); provided, that an Olema Compound Transaction expressly excludes (x) any transaction which qualifies as an Olema Change of Control, (y) any transaction pursuant to which Olema is supplied with a Third Party’s proprietary pharmaceutical product solely to pursue a combination clinical trial with the Olema Compound, and (z) any transaction pursuant to which Olema supplies a Third Party with the Olema Compound solely for such Third Party to pursue a combination clinical trial with such Third Party’s proprietary pharmaceutical product, and provided, always, that in the case of (y) and (z) such Third Party is not granted the right to Commercialize the Olema Compound.
6.1.2 Olema hereby grants Novartis a right of first negotiation with respect to any Olema Compound Transaction. If Olema or any of its Affiliates or any of its or their Representatives desires to or does, at any time, (a) solicit or entertain any Third Party proposal or indication of interest (in writing or otherwise) with respect to or that contemplates an Olema Compound Transaction (provided, however, that ordinary course discussions conducted by Olema in good faith with Third Parties regarding Olema’s scientific programs, potential collaborations and partnerships and other similar matters that do not give rise to an Olema Compound Transaction shall not by themselves constitute solicitation or entertainment of an Olema Compound Transaction), or (b) negotiate (including in response to any proposal or indication of interest (in writing or otherwise) received by Olema or any of its Affiliates from a Third Party), enter into or perform under, in each case, any written definitive agreement with a Third Party with respect to or that contemplates an Olema Compound Transaction (an “Olema Compound Agreement”), then Olema shall provide written notice to Novartis regarding such Olema Compound Transaction, which written notice shall include [***] (a “ROFN Negotiation Notice”). If Novartis notifies Olema in writing of its election to exercise its right of first negotiation in respect of such Olema Compound Transaction (such notice from Novartis, a “ROFN Election Notice”) within thirty (30) days after a ROFN Negotiation Notice is given (“ROFN Election Period”), then Olema and Novartis shall promptly enter into exclusive good faith negotiations with respect to such Olema Compound Transaction for a period of one hundred and twenty (120) days after such ROFN Election Notice is given, or such longer period as may otherwise be mutually agreed by the Alliance Managers (the “ROFN Negotiation Period”). [***].
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6.1.3 If Olema and Novartis fail to enter into an Olema Compound Agreement (notwithstanding good faith negotiations) during an applicable ROFN Negotiation Period, or if Novartis fails to deliver a ROFN Election Notice to Olema within an applicable ROFN Election Period, then Olema shall thereafter be free to solicit or entertain any proposal or indication of interest (in writing or otherwise) relating to and negotiate and enter into an Olema Compound Agreement with a Third Party relating to the Olema Compound Assets specified in the applicable ROFN Negotiation Notice; provided, however, that [***]. For clarity, if Olema or any of its Affiliates proposes at any time to solicit or entertain any proposal or indication of interest (in writing or otherwise) relating to, or negotiate (including in response to any inquiry or proposal received by Olema or any of its Affiliates from a Third Party), enter into or perform under any Olema Compound Agreement relating to the Olema Compound that [***].
Section 6.2. Right of First Offer.
6.2.1 If the board of directors of Olema (the “Olema Board”) or a duly authorized committee of the Olema Board determines (whether or not by formal action) that Olema should pursue or explore an Olema Change of Control, other than in response to an unsolicited bona fide Acquisition Proposal (a “Proposed Sale”), Olema shall promptly (and in any event within [***]) following such determination by the Olema Board or such committee thereof, deliver a written notice (a “ROFO Notice”) to Novartis of such determination. The ROFO Notice shall include [***].
6.2.2 From the date on which the Olema Board or a duly authorized committee of the Olema Board determines (whether or not by formal action) that Olema should pursue or explore a Proposed Sale through the date that is forty-five (45) days after the later of (a) the date on which the ROFO Notice is given to Novartis, (b) the date on which Novartis is first given Olema’s notice that the Data Room has been populated [***] (which may be concurrent with delivery of the ROFO Notice) and (c) entry by the Parties into the NDA (the “ROFO Option Period”), Novartis shall have the exclusive right (but no obligation) to [***] negotiate with Olema and its Representatives the definitive terms and conditions of the Proposed Sale. Promptly after the ROFO Notice is given (and in no event no more than ten (10) Business Days after it is given), Novartis shall determine whether it elects to [***] negotiate a Proposed Sale in accordance with the preceding sentence and give notice to Olema in writing of Novartis’ decision. In the event Novartis determines that it does intend to conduct such [***] negotiation, the Parties shall negotiate in good faith the terms of a non-disclosure agreement [***] (an “NDA”). Promptly, and in any event within twenty-four (24) hours after the later of [***], Olema shall grant Novartis and its applicable Affiliates and Representatives access to the Data Room. After access to the Data Room is provided, during the ROFO Option Period, Olema shall, shall cause its Affiliates to and shall direct its applicable Third Party Representatives to (i) cooperate with Novartis’ and its applicable Affiliates’ and Representatives’ due diligence review of Olema and its business, including by providing reasonable access to information and personnel of Olema and its Affiliates and updating the Data Room pursuant to reasonable requests of Novartis’ employees and Representatives as soon as practicable after receipt of such requests, and (ii) negotiate in good faith with Novartis and its applicable Affiliates and Representatives, to the extent Novartis wishes to negotiate, the terms and conditions of such Proposed Sale. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event that Novartis notifies Olema that it does not intend to conduct such [***] negotiation, or Novartis does not respond to Olema within the ten (10) Business Day period described above, then the ROFO Option Period shall terminate when Olema is given notice thereof or the expiration of such period, whichever first occurs.
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6.2.3 If Olema and Novartis fail to enter into a definitive agreement with respect to a Proposed Sale (notwithstanding good faith negotiations) during the applicable ROFO Option Period, then Olema shall thereafter be free to pursue, explore or consummate a Proposed Sale with a Third Party. If Olema or any of its Affiliates does not enter into or perform under any written definitive agreement with a Third Party that provides for the consummation of such Proposed Sale, or stops pursuing the Proposed Sale with a Third Party, the ROFO in this Section 6.2 shall once again apply with respect to any other Proposed Sale which the Olema Board or a duly authorized committee of the Olema Board determines (whether or not by formal action) that Olema should pursue or explore.
Section 6.3. Right to Receive Notice of Acquisition Proposal. If Olema or its Affiliates receive an unsolicited bona fide Acquisition Proposal from a Third Party, Olema shall promptly notify its Board of Directors (or an applicable committee thereof) of the receipt thereof and request that they consider the merits of such Acquisition Proposal. If, after such consideration, the Board of Directors of Olema (or an applicable committee thereof) authorizes Olema to engage in negotiations with the Third Party providing such Acquisition Proposal or its Affiliates or its or their Representatives with regard to an Olema Change of Control, then Olema shall notify Novartis in writing within twenty-four (24) hours of receipt of such authorization from Olema’s Board of Directors (or an applicable committee thereof) (an “Acquisition Proposal Notice”). Subject to any confidentiality obligations Olema may have, the Acquisition Proposal Notice shall outline the nature of the proposed transaction in the Acquisition Proposal received from the relevant Third Party and, to the extent possible in light of any confidentiality obligations, include a summary of the key structural, non-financial terms of such Acquisition Proposal. During the period following receipt of a bona fide Acquisition Proposal and prior to the Acquisition Proposal Notice being given to Novartis in accordance with the preceding sentence, Olema shall not, and shall procure that its Affiliates and Representatives shall not, (a) provide access to information (including to any Data Room) or personnel of Olema, its Affiliates and Representatives to such Third Party or any of its Affiliates or Representatives related to such Acquisition Proposal (other than to describe Olema’s obligations under this Agreement), (b) enter into any non-disclosure agreement or exclusivity arrangement with such Third Party or any of its Affiliates or Representatives related to such Acquisition Proposal, or (c) engage in negotiations the terms of such Acquisition Proposal with, such Third Party or any of its Affiliates or Representatives related to such Acquisition Proposal.
Section 6.4. Repayment Obligation. On or promptly (and in any event within [***]) after the Repayment Trigger Event, Olema shall pay, or procure the payment of, the Repayment Amount to Novartis by means of an electronic wire transfer of immediately available funds to an account designated in advance in writing by Novartis to Olema. For the avoidance of doubt, the Repayment Amount is due and payable only once, notwithstanding that one or more Repayment Trigger Events may occur. Olema’s obligation to pay the Repayment Amount to Novartis shall be satisfied in full immediately upon receipt of the Repayment Amount by Novartis in accordance with this Section 6.4. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if this Agreement is terminated pursuant to Section 7.6, Section 7.7 or Section 7.8 prior to the consummation of an Olema Change of Control or Olema Compound Transaction, then Olema shall not be obligated to pay the Repayment Amount unless (a) an Olema Change of Control or Olema Compound Transaction occurs after such termination and (b) prior to the fifth (5th) anniversary of such Olema Change of Control or Olema Compound Transaction (as applicable) Olema or its Affiliates (or the applicable acquirer, successor, licensee or optionholder of Olema or its Affiliates) enrolls a subject in any Clinical Study involving the Olema Combination or submits any filing with any Regulatory Authority relating to the Olema Combination, in which case the Repayment Amount shall become due and payable within thirty (30) days after such enrollment date or submission date (as applicable).
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The provisions of Section 6.4 shall be binding on all acquirers, successors, licensees or optionholders of Olema or its Affiliates.
Section 6.5. Survival.
6.5.1 The provisions of this Article 6 shall survive until the first to occur of: (a) the date which is one hundred and twenty (120) days after filing of the New Drug Application for the Olema Combination, (b) subject to Section 6.5.2, one (1) year after any expiration or termination of this Agreement, and (c) such time as this Agreement is terminated by Olema in accordance with Section 7.3.
6.5.2 If this Agreement is terminated pursuant to Section 7.6, Section 7.7 or Section 7.8 prior to the consummation of an Olema Change of Control or Olema Compound Transaction, then the provisions of Section 6.4 shall survive until the fifth (5th) anniversary of such Olema Change of Control or Olema Compound Transaction (as applicable) or, if payment of the Repayment Amount is required, until the next Business Day after the Repayment Amount has been received by Novartis.
6.5.3 Olema shall not enter into any agreement that prevents it from complying with, or materially restricts its ability to comply with, its obligations under this Article 6.
ARTICLE 7. TERM AND TERMINATION.
Section 7.1. Term. The term of this Agreement shall commence on the Effective Date and shall continue in full force and effect until the fifth anniversary of the date on which the first dose of the Olema Compound is administered to the first Study subject, unless earlier terminated by either Party pursuant to this Article 7 (the “Term”).
Section 7.2. Termination for Failure to Initiate Study. Novartis may terminate this Agreement upon written notice to Olema if Olema has failed to commence the Study on or prior to March 31, 2026, or such later date as may have been approved by Novartis in accordance with Section 3.2.
Section 7.3. Termination for Material Breach. Either Party may terminate this Agreement if the other Party commits a material breach of this Agreement, and such material breach continues for [***] after receipt of written notice thereof from the non-breaching Party; provided that if such material breach can be cured but cannot reasonably be cured within such [***] period, and the breaching Party is using its good faith efforts to cure such breach, the breaching Party shall be given an additional [***] to cure such breach. [***].
Section 7.4. Termination for Bankruptcy. A Party may terminate this Agreement upon written notice to the other Party if, at any time, the other Party (i) files in any court or agency pursuant to any statute or regulation of any state, country or jurisdiction, a petition in bankruptcy or for the appointment of a receiver or trustee of such other Party or of such other Party’s assets, (ii) proposes a written agreement of composition or extension of its debts, (iii) is served an involuntary petition against it, filed in any bankruptcy proceeding, and such petition shall not be dismissed or stayed within [***] after the filing thereof, (iv) proposes or is to be a party to any dissolution or liquidation, or (v) shall make an assignment for the benefit of its creditors (“Insolvency Proceedings”).
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The Party that is subject to Insolvency Proceedings shall, as soon as reasonably practicable, notify the other Party in writing of such Insolvency Proceedings.
Section 7.5. Termination for Anti-Corruption Matters. Either Party shall be entitled to terminate this Agreement in its entirety immediately upon written notice to the other Party, if such other Party fails to perform its obligations in accordance with Section 14.3. The non-terminating Party shall have no claim against the terminating Party for compensation for any loss of whatever nature by virtue of the termination of this Agreement in accordance with this Section 7.5. To the extent (and only to the extent) that Applicable Law provides for any such compensation to be paid to the non-terminating Party upon the termination of this Agreement, the non-terminating Party hereby expressly agrees (to the extent possible under Applicable Law) to waive or to repay to the Party terminating this Agreement any such compensation or indemnity.
Section 7.6. Termination for Patient Safety or Efficacy.
7.6.1 If Novartis reasonably believes, based on the Clinical Data or other relevant information, that the Study may unreasonably affect patient safety or that the Novartis Compound or Letrozole is being used in the Study in an unsafe manner, Novartis shall promptly notify Olema. Olema may, within [***] after receipt of Novartis’ notice, propose modifications to address any safety issue identified and shall promptly act to implement such modifications. If Novartis, in its sole discretion, believes that any modifications proposed by Olema will not resolve the patient safety issue, Novartis may terminate this Agreement effective upon written notice to Olema.
7.6.2 If Olema determines that the Study may unreasonably affect patient safety, Olema shall promptly notify Novartis in writing. Olema shall discuss and consult with Novartis regarding the patient safety concerns. Olema may, after discussion and reasonable consultation with Novartis regarding the patient safety concerns, terminate this Agreement effective upon written notice to Novartis.
7.6.3 Either Party may terminate this Agreement with immediate effect upon written notice to the other Party following a joint decision by the Parties that the Olema Combination does not, or based on available evidence is not expected to, achieve a level of efficacy sufficiently superior to either the Novartis Compound or the Olema Compound as a monotherapy, or to the Letrozole Combination, to warrant the continuation of the Study.
Section 7.7. Termination for Regulatory Action. Either Party may terminate this Agreement immediately upon written notice to the other Party if any Regulatory Authority takes any action, or raises any objection, that prevents the terminating Party from supplying its Compound for the Study, or that prevents the supplier of Letrozole from supplying Letrozole for the Study. Additionally, either Party shall have the right to terminate this Agreement immediately upon written notice to the other Party if it determines in its sole discretion to discontinue development or Commercialization of its Compound, for medical, scientific, legal or other reasons, or if the Manufacture or Commercialization of Letrozole is discontinued for medical, scientific, legal or other reasons.
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Section 7.8. Termination for Clinical Hold. If a Clinical Hold should arise at any time after the Effective Date, the Parties will meet to discuss the basis for the Clinical Hold, how long the Clinical Hold is expected to last, and how they might address the cause of Clinical Hold. If, after [***] from the date of the Clinical Hold, either Party reasonably concludes that (a) the cause of the Clinical Hold adversely impacts the Study and is not solvable, or (b) unacceptable and material additional costs/delays have been or will continue be incurred to resolve the cause of the Clinical Hold and continue to conduct of the Study, then such Party may terminate this Agreement immediately by written notice to the other Party.
Section 7.9. Termination for Change of Control. Either Party may terminate this Agreement upon written notice to the other Party within [***] after such other Party’s completion of any Change of Control.
Section 7.10. Termination for Olema Compound Transaction with a Third Party. Novartis may terminate this Agreement upon written notice to Olema within [***] after Olema’s completion of any Olema Compound Transaction with a Third Party.
Section 7.11. Termination for Force Majeure. A Party may terminate this Agreement upon written notice if one (1) or more events of Force Majeure (as defined in Section 17.2) delay performance by the other Party for more than [***] or an aggregate of [***] in any [***] period.
Section 7.12. Termination for Study Termination. Subject to the mechanism set forth in this Section 7.12, Olema shall have the right to terminate this Agreement upon written notice to Novartis if Olema terminates the Study for any reason other than those described in Section 7.6, Section 7.7 or Section 7.8 above. [***].
Section 7.13. Clinical Trial Wind-Down. In the event that this Agreement is terminated by Novartis pursuant to Section 7.3, Section 7.5, Section 7.6.3, Section 7.7 or Section 7.8 then if the Study is on-going as of the effective date of termination, unless agreed otherwise by the Parties in writing, Olema shall ensure that no additional Study subjects are entered into the Study, and the Parties shall work together to plan for the appropriate and ethical completion or wind-down of the Study in an orderly fashion, to address patient safety and the rights of any subjects that are current participants in the Study and in consultation with any relevant ethical committee or institutional review board.
Section 7.14. Return of Novartis Compound and Reporting Study Results. Upon termination of this Agreement, except as provided in the following sentence, Olema shall promptly (i) destroy, and cause to be destroyed, all unused Novartis Compound pursuant to Novartis’ instructions and (ii) remain obligated to deliver to Novartis the Clinical Data for the Study, each in the form available as of the effective date of termination. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event that Olema has paid the Repayment Amount, then Olema shall have the right to retain all unused Novartis Compound. If Novartis requests that Olema destroy the unused Novartis Compound, upon request Olema shall provide written certification of such destruction.
Section 7.15. Survival.
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The provisions of this Section 7.15 (Survival), Section 2.5 (Other Studies), the first sentence of Section 3.3.7 (Compliance and Regulatory Discussions; Rights of Reference) Section 3.6 (Sample Collection and Ownership), Section 3.7 (Ownership of Clinical Data), Section 3.11 (Study Report), Section 3.12 (Future Business Opportunities), Section 6.5 (Survival), the last sentence of Section 7.3 (Termination for Material Breach), Section 7.13 (Clinical Trial Wind-Down), Section 7.14 (Return of Novartis Compound and Reporting Study Results), Section 7.16 (No Prejudice to Claims), Section 7.17 (Return of Confidential Information), Section 11.1 (Joint Inventions and Patent Prosecutions), Section 11.2 (Olema Inventions), Section 11.3 (Novartis Inventions), Section 11.5 (No Transfer of Proprietary Rights Not Specified), Section 14.5 (No Other Representations and Warranties), Section 15.2 (Indemnification), Section 15.4 (Limitation of Liability), Section 17.7 (No Additional Obligations), Section 17.8 (Dispute Resolution and Jurisdiction), Section 17.9 (Notices) and Section 17.10 (Relationship of the Parties) and Article 1 (Definitions; Construction), Article 5 (Adverse Event Reporting), Article 8 (Costs of the Study), Article 10 (Confidentiality), Article 12 (Reprints; Rights of Cross-Reference) and Article 13 (Press Releases and Publications) shall survive the expiration or termination of this Agreement.
Section 7.16. No Prejudice to Claims. Termination of this Agreement shall be without prejudice to any claim or right of action of either Party against the other Party for any prior breach of this Agreement.
Section 7.17. Return of Confidential Information. Upon termination of this Agreement, each Party and its Affiliates shall promptly return to the other Party or destroy any Confidential Information of the other Party (other than Clinical Data and Inventions) except that the receiving Party shall have the right to retain one copy for legal, regulatory, or record-keeping purposes. The receiving party shall not be required to return information in an intangible or electronic format containing Confidential Information from automated back-up or archival systems; provided, that said stored information shall be destroyed in accordance with the receiving Party’s internal standard operating practices.
ARTICLE 8. COSTS OF THE STUDY.
The Parties agree that (i) Novartis shall provide the Novartis Compound for use in the Study, as described in Article 9 below, free of charge to Olema; provided, that Olema shall be responsible for shipping costs; and (ii) Olema shall bear all other costs associated with the conduct of the Study (including all costs associated with the supply of Letrozole), and the performance of its obligations under this Agreement. For the avoidance of doubt, Olema will not be required to reimburse Novartis for any costs or expenses incurred by Novartis or its Affiliates in connection with the Study and Novartis will not be required to reimburse Olema for any costs or expenses incurred by Olema or its Affiliates in connection with the Study.
ARTICLE 9. SUPPLY AND USE OF COMPOUNDS.
Section 9.1. Supply of Novartis Compound. During the Term, Novartis or its Affiliates will [***] supply (clinical supply), or cause to be supplied, the quantities of the Novartis Compound as set forth on Appendix C, on the timelines set forth in Appendix C, in each case, for use in the Study. If Olema determines that the quantities of Novartis Compound set forth on Appendix C are not sufficient to complete the Study (due to, for example, the addition of Study sites or countries), Olema shall so notify Novartis, and the Parties, acting through their respective Supply Chain Representatives, shall discuss in good faith whether and in what quantity Novartis is able to supply additional Novartis Compound, the timeline and cost to Olema for such supply. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Novartis shall have no obligation to provide any quantities of Novartis Compound beyond the amounts set forth on Appendix C. If Novartis agrees to provide additional quantities of the Novartis Compound, Appendix C and the Quality Documentation will be updated accordingly by the Parties on a semi-annual basis, which updates can be affected by the Supply Chain Representatives’ mutual written agreement without the need for a written amendment to this Agreement.
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Section 9.2. Delivery of Novartis Compound.
9.2.1 Novartis will deliver the Novartis Compound [***] (Incoterms 2020) (“Delivery” with respect to all quantities of the Novartis Compound). Title and risk of loss for the Novartis Compound shall transfer from Novartis to Olema at Delivery. Olema shall participate to enable such shipments pursuant to Applicable Law, including country-specific importation requirements. All costs associated with the shipping, transportation, warehousing and distribution of the Novartis Compound (including any costs arising based on the declaration of value on any import, export or customs documents delivered by Novartis to Olema in connection with the distribution of the Novartis Compound) shall be borne by Olema. [***]. Olema will, or will cause its designee to: (i) take delivery of the Novartis Compound supplied hereunder; (ii) perform the acceptance procedures assigned to it under the Quality Agreement; (iii) subsequently label and pack, as appropriate (in accordance with Section 9.3) and promptly ship the Novartis Compound to the Study sites, in compliance with the Quality Agreement; (iv) store and handle the Novartis Compound in accordance with all storage and handling instructions provided by Novartis and Incoterms [***], and (v) provide the following information to Novartis at its request: (a) any applicable chain of custody forms, (b) in-transport temperature recorder(s), (c) records and receipt verification documentation, (d) usage and inventory reconciliation documentation related to the Novartis Compound and (e) such other transport or storage documentation as may be reasonably requested by Novartis. For the avoidance of doubt, upon Delivery to Olema, Novartis shall have no liability for safety, health and environmental (“SHE”) aspects associated with Olema inspection testing, handling or shipping of the Novartis Compound.
9.2.2 Olema shall be solely responsible, at its own cost, for (a) supplying (including Manufacturing, acceptance and release testing) the Olema Compound for the Study, (b) supplying Letrozole for the Study, it being understood that Olema intends to commercially source Letrozole for the Study, and (c) the subsequent handling, storage, transportation, warehousing and distribution of the Olema Compound and Letrozole used for the Study. In addition, except for the Novartis Compound, Olema shall be responsible for supplying all other materials, supplies, compounds and agents required for the conduct of the Study in accordance with the Protocol and this Agreement.
Section 9.3. Labeling and Packaging; Use, Handling and Storage.
9.3.1 The Parties’ obligations with respect to the labeling and packaging of the Novartis Compound are as set forth in the Quality Agreement. Notwithstanding the foregoing or anything to the contrary contained in this Agreement, Novartis shall provide the Novartis Compound to Olema in the form set forth on Appendix C, and, unless otherwise agreed to by the Parties in writing, Olema shall be responsible for any applicable labeling, packaging, leafleting, and release of the Novartis Compound as study medication in accordance with the Quality Agreement.
9.3.2 Olema shall (i) use the Novartis Compound solely for purposes of performing the Study; (ii) not use the Novartis Compound in any manner inconsistent with this Agreement or for any commercial purpose; and (iii) use, store, transport, handle and dispose of the Novartis Compound in compliance with the Specifications, Applicable Law,
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this Agreement and the Quality Agreement. Olema shall not reverse engineer, reverse compile, disassemble or otherwise attempt to derive the composition or underlying information, structure or ideas of the Novartis Compound, and in particular shall not analyze the Novartis Compound by physical, chemical or biochemical means, except as necessary to perform its obligations under this Agreement and the Quality Agreement.
Section 9.4. Changes to Manufacturing. Novartis may make changes from time to time to the Novartis Compound or the Manufacturing Site or adapt the specifications of the Novartis Compound; provided that any such changes shall be in accordance with the Quality Agreement and proper notice is provided to Olema of such changes as set forth in the Quality Agreement.
Section 9.5. Product Testing; Noncompliance.
9.5.1 After Manufacturer’s Release. After manufacturer’s release of the Novartis Compound and concurrently with Delivery of the Novartis Compound to Olema, Novartis shall provide Olema with such certificates and documentation as are described in the Quality Agreement. Olema shall take all steps necessary to determine that the Novartis Compound is suitable for release before making such Novartis Compound available for human use, including those steps and procedures set forth in the Quality Agreement. Novartis shall provide reasonable cooperation or assistance as reasonably requested by Olema in connection with such determination with respect to the Novartis Compound. After Delivery of the Novartis Compound to Olema (as provided in Section 9.2.1), Olema shall be responsible for storage and maintenance of the Novartis Compound, which storage and maintenance shall be in compliance with the Specifications, the Quality Agreement and Applicable Law, and Olema shall be responsible for any failure of the Novartis Compound to meet the Specifications to the extent caused by shipping, storage or handling conditions after Delivery to Olema hereunder.
9.5.2 Non-Conformance.
(a) If Olema becomes aware that the Novartis Compound may have a Non-Conformance, despite testing and quality assurance activities (including any activities conducted by Olema under Section 9.5.1), Olema shall immediately notify Novartis in accordance with the procedures set forth in the Quality Agreement. The Parties shall investigate any Non-Conformance in accordance with Section 9.7 (Investigations) and any discrepancy between them shall be resolved in accordance with Section 9.6 (Resolution of Discrepancies).
(b) If any shipment of the Novartis Compound (or portion thereof) has a Non-Conformance at the time of Delivery to Olema, then unless otherwise agreed to by the Parties, [***]. If any quantities of the Novartis Compound are lost or damaged after Delivery, Novartis will not be obligated to replace same, and if Novartis does elect to do so, Novartis may elect to charge Olema a reasonable replacement cost to replace such Novartis Compound lost or damaged after Delivery.
Section 9.6. Resolution of Discrepancies. Disagreements regarding any determination of Non-Conformance of the Novartis Compound by Olema shall be resolved in accordance with the Quality Agreement.
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Section 9.7. Investigations. The process for investigations of any Non-Conformance of the Novartis Compound shall be handled in accordance with the Quality Agreement.
Section 9.8. Shortage; Allocation. If the Novartis Compound is in short supply as a result of a Manufacturing disruption, Manufacturing difficulties or other similar event such that Novartis reasonably believes that it will not be able to fulfill its supply obligations hereunder with respect to the Novartis Compound, Novartis will provide prompt written notice to Olema thereof (including the shipments of Novartis Compound hereunder expected to be impacted and the quantity of the Novartis Compound that Novartis reasonably determines it will be able to supply) and, upon request, the Parties will promptly discuss such situation. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, in the event of a shortage of the Novartis Compound, [***]; provided, however, that [***] shall [***].
Section 9.9. Manufacturing Records. Each Party shall maintain complete and accurate records in all material respects pertaining to the Manufacture of its Compound to be used in the Study. Olema shall be responsible for maintaining complete and accurate records in all material respects pertaining to the Manufacture of Letrozole.
Section 9.10. Quality. As soon as practicable after the Effective Date, but in any event before the first shipment of the Novartis Compound to Olema pursuant to this Agreement, the Parties shall enter into a quality agreement (the “Quality Agreement”). The Quality Agreement shall outline the roles and responsibilities of each Party relative to the quality obligations in the manufacture, testing and release of the Novartis Compound for the Study. Quality matters related to the Manufacture of the Novartis Compound shall be governed by the terms of the Quality Agreement in addition to the relevant quality provisions of this Agreement. To the extent any provision set forth in the Quality Agreement conflicts with any provision of this Agreement, the provision set forth in the Quality Agreement shall control, but only to the extent such conflict relates to quality matters regarding the Novartis Compound supplied to Olema hereunder.
Section 9.11. Audits and Inspections. The Parties’ audit and inspection rights under this Agreement shall be governed by the Quality Agreement.
Section 9.12. Recalls. Upon discovery that a Novartis Compound should be recalled or corrected, or may be required to be recalled or corrected, the discovering Party shall give prompt notice to the QA contact of the other Party, all subject to the terms of the Quality Agreement. The recall procedures are set forth in the Quality Agreement. If a recall occurs as the result of a Non-Conformance of the Novartis Compound, or due to any fault of Novartis, [***].
Section 9.13. VAT; Customs Duties. Any payments made under this Agreement are exclusive of any value added, goods and services, sales, use, excise, consumption and other similar indirect taxes (“VAT”), which shall be added thereon as applicable. Where VAT is properly charged by the supplying Party and added to a payment made under this Agreement, the Party making the payment will pay the amount of VAT only on receipt of a valid tax invoice from the supplying Party issued in accordance with the laws and regulations of the country in which the VAT is chargeable. For the avoidance of doubt, (i) Novartis will not be charged for import VAT or any sales tax and duty which could be raised by local customs or VAT authorities related to shipments of the Novartis Compound to Olema, its designee warehouse, or the country where the Study takes place, (ii) Novartis shall only provide a proforma invoice indicating the price at which the Novartis Compound is available in the country importing the Novartis Compound, and (iii) Novartis shall not be responsible for any customs duties or other costs associated with the export of the Novartis Compound [***].
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The Parties agree to cooperate with one another and use reasonable efforts to minimize and ensure that any VAT does not represent an unnecessary cost with respect to any payments made under this Agreement, including use of available VAT exemptions, zero-ratings, reduced-ratings, suspensions or other reliefs.
ARTICLE 10. CONFIDENTIALITY.
Section 10.1. Treatment of Confidential Information.
10.1.1 Olema and Novartis agree to hold in confidence any Confidential Information of the other Party, and neither Party shall use Confidential Information of the other Party except for the performance of the Study and for Permitted Uses and any other use expressly permitted by this Agreement. Neither Party shall, without the prior written consent of the other Party, disclose any Confidential Information of the other Party to any Third Party except to the extent the disclosure (i) is required by Applicable Law; or (ii) is pursuant to the terms of this Agreement as necessary for the conduct of the Study; and in each case ((i) through (ii)) provided that the disclosing Party gives reasonable advance written notice to the other Party before making such disclosure. For the avoidance of doubt, Olema may, without Novartis’ consent, disclose Novartis Confidential Information to Study Sites and clinical trial investigators performing the Study, the data safety monitoring and advisory board relating to the Study, and Regulatory Authorities working with Olema on the Study, in each case to the extent necessary for the performance of the Study and to comply with Applicable Law and this Agreement; provided that such persons (other than governmental entities) are bound to Olema by written obligations of confidentiality and non-use at least as stringent as the obligations contained herein. Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, each Party has the right to disclose, without the consent of or any notification to the other Party, any pharmacovigilance information originating from itself, its Affiliates, and the other Party, to Regulatory Authorities, investigators, ethical committees and internal review boards, and any other Third Parties that have a need to know such information according to each Party’s Risk Management and Adverse Event Reporting requirements.
10.1.2 Novartis covenants not to disclose any unpublished Clinical Data related to the Olema Compound or Letrozole and other documentation prepared specifically for use in connection with the Study to any Third Party in connection with Novartis’ independent research, development or commercialization of the Novartis Compound in combination with any Third Party’s Olema Class Compound unless disclosed pursuant to Article 13 herein, or with written consent from Olema, and Olema covenants not to disclose any unpublished Clinical Data related to the Novartis Compound or Letrozole and other documentation prepared specifically for use in connection with the Study to any Third Party in connection with Olema’s independent research, development or commercialization of the Olema Compound or Letrozole in combination with any Third Party’s Novartis Class Compound unless disclosed pursuant to Article 13 herein, or with written consent from Novartis.
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10.1.3 Protected Information Audits. Novartis or its designated Third Party will have the right to perform assessments of Olema’s implemented technical and operational measures and its testing to ensure the security, availability, integrity and resilience of Protected Information and the Novartis Environment. After completion of the audit, Novartis will provide Olema with a remediation plan identifying any gaps and the timelines for remediation. Olema shall remediate any identified high or critical gaps set forth in the remediation plan and in accordance with the timelines set forth therein. Olema’s failure to remediate high or critical gaps according to the remediation plan shall constitute a material breach of this Agreement, and Novartis shall have the right (but not the obligation), without limiting any of its other rights and remedies, to terminate this Agreement for material breach in accordance with Section 7.3.
10.1.4 Each Party shall develop, maintain, periodically review, update and train the other Party’s personnel regarding its Information Management Policies and Standards.
Section 10.2. Jointly Owned Confidential Information. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Joint Inventions shall constitute the Confidential Information of both Parties and, subject to Section 3.6, Section 3.7, Article 11 and Article 13:
10.2.1 Olema shall have the right to (i) use Joint Confidential Information in connection with its independent development, commercialization or other exploitation of any proprietary Olema compound including the Olema Compound (alone or in combination with the Novartis Compound or other pharmaceutical agents) without the consent of, or any obligation to account to, Novartis; and (ii) disclose Joint Confidential Information to Third Parties only for the Permitted Use after the Third Party agrees in writing to be bound by terms of confidentiality and non-use that are consistent with this Agreement; and
10.2.2 Novartis shall have the right to (i) use Joint Confidential Information in connection with its independent development, commercialization or other exploitation of any proprietary Novartis compound including the Novartis Compound (alone or in combination with the Olema Compound, Letrozole or other pharmaceutical agents) without the consent of, or any obligation to account to, Olema; and (ii) disclose Joint Confidential Information to Third Parties only for the Permitted Use after the Third Party agrees in writing to be bound by terms of confidentiality and non-use that are consistent with this Agreement.
Section 10.3. Disclosure of Confidential Information. Subject to Article 13 hereof with respect to publication of the Study results, Inventions relating solely to the Novartis Compound that constitute Confidential Information and Clinical Data relating solely to the Novartis Compound shall constitute Confidential Information solely owned by Novartis (“Novartis Confidential Information”). Subject to Article 13 hereof with respect to publication of the Study results, Inventions relating solely to the Olema Compound that constitute Confidential Information and Clinical Data relating solely to the Olema Compound shall constitute Confidential Information solely owned by Olema (“Olema Confidential Information”). Subject to Section 3.6 and Section 3.7, Novartis may use and disclose to Third Parties any Novartis Confidential Information for any purpose without obligation or accounting to Olema. Subject to Section 3.6 and Section 3.7, Olema may use and disclose to Third Parties any Olema Confidential Information for any purpose without obligation or accounting to Novartis.
Section 10.4. Confidential Information with Personal Data. All Confidential Information containing Personal Data shall be handled in accordance with Data Protection Laws and, where applicable, the Data Sharing Agreement.
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ARTICLE 11. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY.
Section 11.1. Joint Inventions and Patent Prosecution.
11.1.1 Subject to Section 11.2 and Section 11.3 all rights to Inventions relating to or Covering the Olema Combination or the Letrozole Combination (each a “Joint Invention”) and any Intellectual Property Rights therein shall be owned jointly by Olema and Novartis (collectively “Joint IP”). For those countries where a specific license is required for a joint owner of a Joint Invention to exploit such Joint Invention and any Joint IP in such countries, (i) Novartis hereby grants to Olema a perpetual, irrevocable, non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free, fully paid-up license, transferable and sublicensable, under Novartis’ entire right, title and interest in and to all Joint Inventions and Joint IP to use and exploit such Joint Inventions and Joint IP in such country or countries, for any and all uses, without the consent of or accounting to Novartis, and (ii) Olema hereby grants to Novartis a perpetual, irrevocable, non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free, fully paid-up license, transferable and sublicensable, under Olema’s entire right, title and interest in and to all Joint Inventions and Joint IP to use and exploit such Joint Inventions and Joint IP in such country or countries, for any and all uses, without the consent of or accounting to Olema. For clarity, the terms of this Agreement do not provide Olema or Novartis with any rights, title or interest or any license to the other Party’s or its Affiliates’ Background Intellectual Property, except as necessary to conduct the Study. Each Party shall have the right to freely exploit the Joint Inventions and the Joint IP, both within and outside the scope of the Study, without the consent of, accounting to or any other obligation to the other Party, and each Party may grant licenses (with a right to sublicense) to Third Parties under such Party’s interest in the Joint Inventions and Joint IP, subject to the terms of and its obligations under this Agreement.
11.1.2 As needed after the Effective Date, the Parties’ respective patent representatives shall meet (in person or virtually) to discuss the patenting strategy for any Joint Inventions which may arise. In particular, the Parties shall discuss which Party will file a patent application (including any provisional, substitution, divisional, continuation, continuation in part, reissue, renewal, re-examination, extension, supplementary protection certificate and the like) with respect to each Joint Invention (each, a “Joint Patent Application”) and whether the Parties wish to appoint joint patent counsel. In any event, the Parties shall consult and reasonably cooperate with one another in the preparation, filing, prosecution (including prosecution strategy) and maintenance of such patent application(s) and resulting Joint Patents and shall equally share the expenses associated with the prosecution and maintenance of the Joint Patent Applications and resulting Joint Patents. If one Party (the “Filing Party”) wishes to file a patent application for a Joint Invention and the other Party (the “Non-filing Party”) does not wish to file a patent application for a Joint Invention, or does not wish to file in a particular country or jurisdiction, the Non-filing Party shall execute such documents and perform such acts at the Filing Party’s expense as may be reasonably necessary to effect an assignment of such Joint Invention to the Filing Party (in such country or all countries, as applicable) in a timely manner to allow the Filing Party to prosecute such patent application. Likewise, if a Party (the “Opting-out Party”) wishes to discontinue the prosecution and maintenance of a Joint Patent Application or Joint Patent, the other Party (the “Continuing Party”), at its sole discretion, may continue such prosecution and maintenance. In such event, the Opting-out Party shall execute such documents and perform such acts at the Continuing Party’s expense as may be reasonably necessary to effect an assignment of such Joint Patent Application to the Continuing Party (in such country or all countries, as applicable) in a timely manner to allow the Continuing Party to prosecute and maintain such patent application. Any Joint Patent Application, Joint Patent or Joint Invention so assigned shall thereafter be owned solely by the Continuing Party or Filing Party (as applicable), and any patent claiming such Joint Invention in the applicable country or countries when issued, shall not be a Joint Patent. The Filing Party or Continuing Party (as applicable) hereby grants the Opting-out Party or Non-Filing Party (as applicable) a perpetual, irrevocable, non-exclusive, royalty-free fully paid-up license under such solely owned Joint Patent Applications and Joint Patents to practice any Joint Invention claimed therein solely for the purposes of developing and commercializing its respective Compound for use in the Olema Combination or the Letrozole Combination (as applicable) which license shall not be transferable or sublicensable to any Third Party except to (A) Affiliates of the Opting-out Party or Non-Filing Party (as applicable), and (B) Third Parties engaged in developing, manufacturing or marketing that Party’s Compound for or on behalf of that Party or its Affiliates.
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11.1.3 Except as expressly provided in Section 11.1.1 and Section 11.1.2, neither Party shall (1) file any patent application based on the other Party’s Confidential Information, or (2) provide assistance to any Third Party for any such application, without the other Party’s prior written authorization.
11.1.4 Olema shall have the first right to initiate legal action to enforce the Joint Patents against infringement, and to protect the Joint Inventions from misappropriation, by any Third Party where such infringement or misappropriation results from the development or sale of an Olema Class Compound, or to defend any declaratory judgment action relating thereto, at its sole expense (subject to Section 11.1.5). If Olema fails to initiate or defend any such action within [***] after being first notified of such infringement or misappropriation, Novartis shall have the right to do so at its sole expense (subject to Section 11.1.5). Similarly, Novartis shall have the first right to initiate legal action to enforce the Joint Patents against infringement and to protect the Joint Inventions from misappropriation, by any Third Party where such infringement or misappropriation results from the development or sale of a Novartis Class Compound or a Letrozole Class Compound, or to defend any declaratory judgment action relating thereto, at its sole expense (subject to Section 11.1.5). If Novartis fails to initiate or defend any such action within [***] after being first notified of such infringement, Olema shall have the right to do so at its sole expense (subject to Section 11.1.5). [***].
11.1.5 If either Party brings a prosecution or enforcement action or proceeding against a Third Party with respect to any Joint Patent, the other Party agrees to be joined as a party plaintiff where necessary and to provide the first Party with reasonable assistance and authority to file and prosecute the action or proceeding. The Party controlling such action or proceeding (the “Controlling Party”) shall keep the Party not controlling such action or proceeding (the “Non-Controlling Party”) advised of the proposed litigation strategy and all material documents, communications and actions, and provide the Non-Controlling Party with an opportunity to review and comment on such material documents, communications, actions and proposed litigation strategy, which the Controlling Party must consider in good faith. If, in the reasonable judgment of the Non-Controlling Party, the proposed litigation strategy would materially adversely affect the value of the Non-Controlling Party’s Intellectual Property arising under this Agreement, or the
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Non-Controlling Party’s Background IP, the Parties agree to jointly determine a litigation strategy reasonably acceptable to both Parties. [***].
Section 11.2. Olema Inventions. Notwithstanding Section 11.1, the Parties agree that all rights to Inventions relating solely to the Olema Compound and any Intellectual Property rights therein are the exclusive property of Olema (“Olema Intellectual Property” or “Olema IP”). Olema shall be entitled to file in its own name relevant patent applications and to own resulting Patent(s) Covering Olema Inventions. For the avoidance of doubt, any Invention generically encompassing the Olema Compound (and not any Novartis proprietary compound including the Novartis Compound) within its scope, even where the Olema Compound is not disclosed per se, is the exclusive property of Olema. Novartis hereby assigns and agrees to assign to Olema its entire right, title and interest in, to and under the Olema Inventions and any Intellectual Property Rights therein, and agrees to take all actions as may be necessary or appropriate to give effect to Olema’s sole ownership of the Olema IP, including executing and providing, and causing its Representatives to execute and provide all documents, instruments, affidavits, evidence and testimony, and to take such other actions as are reasonably necessary and requested by Olema, to effect such assignments and to perfect Olema’s ownership Olema IP.
Section 11.3. Novartis Inventions. Notwithstanding Section 11.1, the Parties agree that all rights to Inventions relating solely to the Novartis Compound and any Intellectual Property rights therein are the exclusive property of Novartis (“Novartis Intellectual Property or “Novartis IP”). Novartis shall be entitled to file in its own name relevant patent applications and to own the resulting Patent(s) Covering Novartis Inventions. For the avoidance of doubt, any Invention generically encompassing the Novartis Compound (and not any Olema proprietary compound including the Olema Compound) within its scope, even where the Novartis Compound is not disclosed per se, is and shall be the exclusive property of Novartis. Olema hereby assigns, and agrees to assign, to Novartis its entire right, title and interest in, to and under the Novartis Inventions and any Intellectual Property Rights therein, and agrees to take all actions as may be necessary or appropriate to give effect to Novartis’ sole ownership of Novartis IP, including executing and providing, and causing its Representatives to execute and provide all documents, instruments, affidavits, evidence and testimony, and to take such other actions as are reasonably necessary and requested by Novartis, to effect such assignments and to perfect Novartis’s ownership of the Novartis IP.
Section 11.4. Mutual Freedom to Operate for Combination Inventions.
11.4.1 Olema hereby grants to Novartis a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free, fully paid-up license under its Background IP, solely to practice the Olema Combination for the Study pursuant to this Agreement. In no event shall Novartis have the right to exploit any Olema Background IP to Develop, Manufacture or Commercialize the Olema Compound or an Olema Class Compound, either alone or as part of a combination (including the Olema Combination). The foregoing license is and shall be transferable and sublicensable solely to Novartis’ Affiliates and to Third Parties engaged in Developing, Manufacturing or Commercializing the Novartis Compound for or on behalf of Novartis or its Affiliates.
11.4.2 Novartis hereby grants to Olema a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free, fully paid-up license, under its Background IP, solely to practice the Olema Combination and the Letrozole Combination, for the Study pursuant to this Agreement. In no event shall Olema have the right to exploit any Novartis Background IP to Develop,
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Manufacture or Commercialize the Novartis Compound or a Novartis Class Compound, or Letrozole or a Letrozole Class Compound, either alone or as part of a combination (including the Olema Combination and the Letrozole Combination). The foregoing license is and shall be transferable and sublicensable solely to Olema’s Affiliates and to Third Parties engaged in the performance of the Study for or on behalf of Olema.
Section 11.5. No Transfer of Proprietary Rights Not Specified. The Parties acknowledge and agree that neither Olema or its Affiliates nor Novartis or its Affiliates transfers to the other Party or its Affiliates by operation of this Agreement any of their patent right, copyright, trademark or other proprietary rights except as expressly set forth herein. For clarity, the terms of this Section 11.5 do not provide Novartis or Olema with any right, title or interest in or to, or any license under the Background IP of either Party which does not claim or Cover the Olema Combination or the Letrozole Combination, except and solely to the extent necessary for Olema and Novartis to conduct the Study.
11.5.1 Notwithstanding the foregoing, the licenses granted under this Article 11 shall terminate upon the expiration or termination of this Agreement.
ARTICLE 12. REPRINTS AND RIGHTS OF CROSS-REFERENCE.
Consistent with applicable copyright and other laws, each Party may use, refer to, and disseminate reprints of scientific, medical and other published articles and materials from journals, conferences or symposia relating to the Study which disclose the name of the other Party, provided such use does not constitute an endorsement of any commercial product or service by the other Party.
ARTICLE 13. PRESS RELEASES AND PUBLICATIONS.
Section 13.1. No Public Announcements. Neither Party shall make or issue any press release or public announcement in connection with this Agreement; provided, that either Party may disclose the terms of this Agreement and make any other public written disclosure regarding the existence of, or performance under, this Agreement, to the extent required, in the reasonable opinion of such Party’s legal counsel, to comply with: (a) Applicable Laws, including the rules and regulations promulgated by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission; or (b) any equivalent Governmental Authority, securities exchange or securities regulator in any country in the Territory. Prior to disclosing this Agreement or any of the terms hereof pursuant to this Section 13.1, the Parties shall consult with one another with respect to the timing, form, and content of such disclosure. If so requested by the other Party, the Party subject to such obligation shall use commercially reasonable efforts to obtain an order protecting to the maximum extent possible the confidentiality of such provisions of this Agreement as reasonably requested by the other Party. If the Parties are unable to agree on the form or content of any required disclosure, such disclosure shall be limited to the minimum required as reasonably determined by the disclosing Party in consultation with its legal counsel. Without limiting the foregoing, Olema shall provide Novartis with each proposed filing by Olema with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission or any equivalent Governmental Authority, securities exchange or securities regulator in any country in the Territory which discloses the existence of this Agreement or describes the terms of this Agreement (including any filings of this Agreement) at least [***] prior to submission of such filing, and shall reasonably consider and in good-faith incorporate any and all of Novartis’ comments relating to such filing, including the provisions of this Agreement for which confidential treatment should be sought.
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Section 13.2. Registration of Clinical Trial. To the extent required by Applicable Law, Olema will register the Study with the Clinical Trials Registry located at www.clinicaltrials.gov and www.clinicaltrialsregister.eu. Olema is committed to timely publication of the results after Study Completion, after taking appropriate action to secure intellectual property rights (if any) arising from the Study. The publication of the results of the Study will be in accordance with the Protocol. Novartis agrees not to publish any results of the Study involving the Olema Compound prior to the timely publication of such Study results by Olema. Olema agrees not to publish any results of the Study involving the Novartis Compound or the Letrozole Compound prior to the timely publication of such Study results by Novartis.
Section 13.3. Review of Materials. The Parties agree that prior to submission of the results of the Study for publication or presentation or any other dissemination or public disclosure of the Study results, including oral dissemination, the publishing Party shall invite the other Party to comment on the content of the material to be published, presented, or disclosed in accordance with the following procedure, and shall obtain the non-publishing Party’s approval prior to submission for publication, presentation or other disclosure:
13.3.1 The publishing Party shall provide the non-publishing Party with the opportunity to review and comment on any proposed publication at least [***] prior to its intended date of submission for publication.
13.3.2 The publishing Party shall (a) consider in good faith any comments provided by the non-publishing Party within [***] after the non-publishing Party’s receipt of the proposed publication, (b) comply with any requests received from the non-publishing Party within such [***] review period to remove its Confidential Information from the proposed publication, and (c) will delay submission of the proposed publication for a period up to [***] (as requested by the non-publishing Party) if the non-publishing Party reasonably requests such a delay, including for the purpose of preparing and filing a patent application.
13.3.3 The publishing Party shall provide the non-publishing Party with a copy of the publication manuscript at the time of its submission, and shall acknowledge the contributions of the non-publishing Party in all publications as scientifically appropriate.
13.3.4 Novartis shall have the sole right to control any statement in any publication or presentation to the extent relating solely to the Novartis Compound or to the Letrozole Combination. Olema shall have the sole right to control any statement in any publication or presentation to the extent relating solely to the Olema Compound. Olema and Novartis shall jointly control any statement in any publication or presentation relating to the Olema Combination or relating solely to Letrozole.
Section 13.4. Acknowledgments. Each Party agrees to identify the other Party and acknowledge the other Party’s support in any publication or other disclosure of the Study results.
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ARTICLE 14. GENERAL REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES; DISCLAIMERS.
Section 14.1. General Representations. Each of Olema and Novartis represents and warrants to the other that:
14.1.1 it is a corporation duly organized, validly existing, and in good standing under the laws of its jurisdiction of formation;
14.1.2 it has full corporate power and authority to execute, deliver, and perform this Agreement, and has taken all corporate action required by law and its organizational documents to authorize the execution and delivery of this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement;
14.1.3 this Agreement constitutes a valid and binding agreement enforceable against it in accordance with its terms;
14.1.4 all consents, approvals and authorizations from all governmental authorities or other Third Parties required to be obtained by such Party in connection with this Agreement have been obtained;
14.1.5 the execution and delivery of this Agreement and all other instruments and documents required to be executed pursuant to this Agreement, and the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby, do not and will not (i) conflict with or result in a breach of any provision of its organizational documents, (ii) conflict with or result in a breach of any agreement to which it is a party; or (iii) violate any Applicable Law; and
14.1.6 Olema represents and warrants to Novartis as of the Effective Date that, to the best of its knowledge, it is not aware of any pending or threatened litigation (and has not received any written communication) that alleges that its activities related to this Agreement have violated, or that by conducting the activities as contemplated in this Agreement it would violate, any of the intellectual property rights of any other Person (after giving effect to the license grants in this Agreement).
Section 14.2. No Guaranteed Results. Neither Party undertakes that the Study shall lead to any particular result and both Parties agree and understand that the success of the Study is not guaranteed. Neither Party accepts any responsibility for any use of the Clinical Data by the other Party nor for advice or information given in connection therewith.
Section 14.3. Anti-Corruption.
14.3.1 In performing their respective obligations hereunder, the Parties acknowledge that the corporate policies of Olema and Novartis and their respective Affiliates require that each Party’s business be conducted within the letter and spirit of all Applicable Law. By signing this Agreement, each Party agrees to conduct the business contemplated herein in a manner which is consistent with all Applicable Law, including the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977 (as amended, the “FCPA”), the UK Bribery Act, and any laws enacted to implement the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Officials in International Business Transactions and good business ethics, and its ethics and other corporate policies, and to
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abide by the spirit of the other Party’s applicable ethics and compliance guidelines which may be provided by such other Party from time to time.
Specifically, each Party agrees that it and its Affiliates, and its and its Affiliates’ Representatives and anyone acting on its or their behalf, in connection with the performance of this Agreement, have not made, offered, given, promised to give, authorized, ratified, offered to make or taken any action in furtherance of, and will not, directly or indirectly, make, offer, promise to give, authorize, ratify or offer to make, or take any action in furtherance of, any payment or transfer of anything of value to any person or to any Government Official to do or omit to do an act in violation of a lawful or otherwise required duty or for the purpose of securing any improper advantage or inducing the person or Government Official to improperly influence the act or decision of any organization, including any government or government instrumentality, to assist Novartis or Olema in obtaining or retaining business.
14.3.2 Each Party shall not contact, or otherwise knowingly meet with, any Government Official for the purpose of discussing activities arising out of or in connection with this Agreement, without the prior written approval of the other Party, except where such meeting is compliant with the purpose and terms of this Agreement and in compliance with Applicable Law.
14.3.3 Each Party represents that: (i) it has no impediment to enter into the transaction contemplated in this Agreement; (ii) it (or, to the knowledge of such Party, any individual engaged by a Party) is not excluded, disqualified, debarred, or suspended for conducting clinical trials, proposed for suspension or debarment, or otherwise ineligible for government programs or convicted of a criminal offense related to the provision of healthcare items or services; (iii) no individual involved in the Study or, to the knowledge of such Party, engaged by a Party has been debarred under Subsection (a) or (b) of Section 306 of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. 335a) and no person on any of the FDA clinical investigator enforcement lists (including the (1) Disqualified/Totally Restricted List, (2) Restricted List and (3) Adequate Assurances List) is involved in the Study or any other activity with respect to a Compound, (iv) to the best of its knowledge, is not under investigation by a Regulatory Authority nor is there any basis for any investigation for either (ii) or (iii) and (v) will provide timely notice if any of (i) through (iv) occur;
14.3.4 Each Party represents and warrants that except as disclosed to the other in writing prior to the commencement of this Agreement: (i) it does not have any interest which directly or indirectly conflicts with its proper and ethical performance of this Agreement; (ii) it shall maintain arm’s length relations with all Third Parties with which it deals for or on behalf of the other in performance of this Agreement; and (iii) it has provided complete and accurate information to the other Party in the course of negotiating this Agreement, including disclosure of any Representatives, owners or persons directly or indirectly retained by such Party, if any, in relation to the performance of this Agreement who are Government Officials or relatives of Government Officials. Each Party shall make all further disclosures as necessary to the other Party to ensure the information provided remains complete and accurate throughout the term of this Agreement. Subject to the foregoing, each Party agrees that it shall not hire or retain any Government Official to assist in its performance of this Agreement, with the sole exception of conduct of or participation in clinical trials under this Agreement, provided that such hiring or retention shall be subject to the completion by the hiring or retaining Party of a satisfactory anti-corruption and bribery (e.g., FCPA) due diligence review of such Government Official. Each Party further covenants that any future information and documentation submitted to the other Party as part of further due diligence or a certification shall be complete and accurate.
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14.3.5 Each Party shall ensure that all transactions under the Agreement are properly and accurately recorded in all material respects on its books and records and that each document upon which entries in such books and records are based is complete and accurate in all material respects. Each Party further represents, warrants and covenants that all books, records, invoices and other documents relating to payments and expenses under this Agreement are and shall be complete and accurate and reflect in reasonable detail the character and amount of transactions and expenditures. Each Party must maintain a system of internal accounting controls reasonably designed to ensure that no off-the-books or similar funds or accounts will be maintained or used in connection with this Agreement.
14.3.6 Each Party agrees that if the other Party believes in good faith that there has been a possible violation of any provision of this Section 14.3, such other Party may make full disclosure of such belief and related information needed to support such belief at any time and for any reason to any competent government bodies and its agencies, and to whoever such Party determines in good faith has a legitimate need to know.
14.3.7 Each Party agrees to ensure that all Representatives performing its obligations under this Agreement are provided ethics and compliance training in accordance with such Party’s corporate policies and procedures.
Section 14.4. Compliance.
14.4.1 Compliance with Party Specific Regulations. The Parties agree to cooperate with each other as may reasonably be required to ensure that each is able to fully meet its obligations with respect to the Party Specific Regulations applicable to it. Neither Party shall be obligated to pursue any course of conduct that would result in such Party being in material breach of any Party Specific Regulation applicable to it. All Party Specific Regulations are binding only in accordance with their terms and only upon the Party to which they relate.
14.4.2 Compliance with Internal Compliance Codes. All Internal Compliance Codes shall apply only to the Party to which they relate. The Parties agree to cooperate with each other to ensure that each Party can comply with the substance of its respective Internal Compliance Codes and, to the extent practicable, to operate in a manner consistent with its usual compliance related processes. “Internal Compliance Codes” means a Party’s internal policies and procedures intended to ensure that a Party complies with Applicable Laws, Party Specific Regulations, and such Party’s internal ethical, medical and similar standards. “Party Specific Regulations” means all judgments, decrees, orders or similar decisions issued by any Governmental Authority specific to a Party, and all consent decrees, corporate integrity agreements, or other agreements or undertakings of any kind by a Party with any Governmental Authority, in each case as the same may be in effect from time to time and applicable to a Party’s activities pursuant to this Agreement.
Section 14.5. NO OTHER REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES. EXCEPT AS EXPRESSLY PROVIDED HEREIN: (A) NOVARTIS MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING ANY WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, WITH RESPECT TO THE NOVARTIS COMPOUND, LETROZOLE OR THE STUDY; AND (B) OLEMA MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING ANY WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, WITH RESPECT TO THE OLEMA COMPOUND, LETROZOLE OR THE STUDY.
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ARTICLE 15. INSURANCE; INDEMNIFICATION; LIMITATION OF LIABILITY.
Section 15.1. Insurance. Each Party warrants that it maintains a policy or program of insurance or self-insurance at levels sufficient to support the indemnification obligations assumed herein with carriers that are financially stable and reputable. Upon written request, a Party shall provide evidence of such insurance. In addition, Olema, as sponsor of the Study, shall secure and maintain the necessary clinical trial insurance, as required by Applicable Law, for the Study to be conducted under this Agreement.
Section 15.2. Indemnification.
15.2.1 Indemnification by Olema. Olema agrees to defend, indemnify and hold harmless Novartis, its Affiliates, and its and their Representatives from and against any loss, damage, reasonable costs and expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees and expenses) incurred in connection with any claim, proceeding, or investigation by a Third Party arising out of this Agreement or the Study (a “Liability”), except to the extent that such Liability (A) was directly caused by (i) negligence or willful misconduct on the part of Novartis (or any of its Affiliates, or its and their Representatives); (ii) a breach on the part of Novartis of any of its representations and warranties or any other covenants or obligations of Novartis under this Agreement; or (iii) a breach of Applicable Law by Novartis; or (B) is determined to be attributable to a Non-Conformance of the Novartis Compound at the time of Delivery.
15.2.2 Indemnification by Novartis. Novartis agrees to defend, indemnify and hold harmless Olema, its Affiliates, and its and their Representatives from and against any Liability to the extent that such Liability (A) was directly caused by (i) negligence or willful misconduct on the part of Novartis (or any of its Affiliates, or its and their employees, directors, subcontractors or agents); (ii) a breach on the part of Novartis of any of its representations and warranties or any other covenants or obligations of Novartis under this Agreement; or (iii) a breach of Applicable Law by Novartis; or (B) is determined to be attributable to a Non-Conformance of the Novartis Compound at the time of Delivery.
15.2.3 Procedure. The obligations of Novartis and Olema under this Section 15.2.3 are conditioned upon the delivery of written notice to Novartis or Olema, as the case may be, of any potential Liability within a reasonable time after a Party becomes aware of such potential Liability. The indemnifying Party’s obligation to defend, indemnify and hold harmless the indemnified Party will be reduced to the extent any delay by the indemnified Party results in actual prejudice to the indemnifying Party. A Party will have the right to assume the defense of any suit or claim related to the Liability (using counsel reasonably satisfactory to the other Party) if it has assumed responsibility for the suit or claim in writing. The other Party may participate in (but not control) the defense thereof at its sole cost and expense. The Party controlling such defense (the “Defending Party”) shall keep the other Party (the “Other Party”) advised of the status of such action, suit, proceeding or claim and the defense thereof and shall consider recommendations made by the Other Party with respect thereto. The Defending Party shall not agree to any settlement of such action, suit, proceeding or claim without the prior written consent of the Other Party, which shall not
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be unreasonably withheld. The Defending Party shall not agree to any settlement of such action, suit, proceeding or claim or consent to any judgment in respect thereof that does not include a complete and unconditional release of the Other Party from all liability with respect thereto or that imposes any liability or obligation on the Other Party without the prior written consent of the Other Party.
Section 15.3. Study Subjects. Olema and its Affiliates shall not offer compensation on behalf of Novartis or its Affiliates to any Study subject, or bind Novartis or its Affiliates to any indemnification obligations in favor of any Study subject. Likewise, Novartis and its Affiliates shall not offer compensation on behalf of Olema or its Affiliates to any Study subject or bind Olema or its Affiliates to any indemnification obligations in favor of any Study subject.
Section 15.4. LIMITATION OF LIABILITY. EXCEPT FOR DAMAGES AVAILABLE FOR BREACH OF THE CONFIDENTIALITY OR NON-USE OBLIGATIONS IN ARTICLE 10, NEITHER PARTY SHALL BE LIABLE TO THE OTHER PARTY FOR INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR SPECIAL DAMAGES, INCLUDING LOST PROFITS, ARISING FROM OR RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT OR SUCH PARTY’S PERFORMANCE HEREUNDER, REGARDLESS OF ANY NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES AND REGARDLESS OF THE CAUSE OF ACTION (WHETHER IN CONTRACT, TORT, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR OTHERWISE). NOTWITHSTANDING THE FOREGOING, THE LIMITATIONS OF LIABILITY SET FORTH IN THIS SECTION SHALL NOT APPLY TO OR SERVE TO LIMIT THE OBLIGATIONS OR LIABILITY OF EITHER PARTY OR ITS INSURER, AFFILIATE(S) OR REPRESENTATIVES PROVIDED FOR, IMPOSED BY, OR ARISING OUT OF BREACHES OF ARTICLE 10 (CONFIDENTIALITY) OR SECTION 15.2 (INDEMNIFICATION).
ARTICLE 16. DATA PRIVACY
Section 16.1. Definitions. In this Article 16, the terms “joint-controller”, “controller”, “processor”, “data subject”, “processing” (and “process”) and “special categories of personal data” have the meanings given in EU Data Protection Law.
Section 16.2. Disclosure of Data. Olema will disclose the personal data described in this Agreement to Novartis to process strictly for the purposes described in this Agreement (or as otherwise agreed in writing by the Parties) (the “Permitted Purpose”).
Section 16.3. Controller. The Parties acknowledge that Olema is a controller of the Personal Data it discloses to Novartis, and that Novartis will process the Personal Data as a separate and independent controller strictly for the Permitted Purpose. In no event will the Parties process the Personal Data as joint controllers.
Section 16.4. Compliance with Law: Each Party shall be individually and separately responsible for complying with the obligations that apply to it as a controller under EU Data Protection Law. In particular:
16.4.1 Olema shall be responsible for complying with all necessary transparency and lawfulness requirements under Data Protection Law in order to disclose the Personal Data to Novartis to process for the Permitted Purpose; and
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16.4.2 Novartis shall be separately and independently responsible for complying with Data Protection Law in respect of its processing of Personal Data it receives from Olema.
Section 16.5. Restrictions. Unless and until the Parties have executed a Data Sharing Agreement, Olema shall:
16.5.1 not provide to Novartis any Personal Data in connection with the Study, including any information that relates to an identified or identifiable person;
16.5.2 only provide to Novartis analyses of Clinical Data in an anonymized form according to the highest anonymization standards and techniques to prevent re-identification of Personal Data and provide details of the anonymization process to Novartis whenever requested, i.e. having removed all patient identifiers that might have facilitated the tracing or tracking of such data back to an individual patient; and
16.5.3 ensure that no Personal Data will be transferred to Novartis by ensuring adequate training of its Representatives and implementing appropriate IT controls. Novartis will, at no time, engage in any activity to re-identify anonymized data by any means whatsoever including by singling out, linking back or matching with other datasets.
Section 16.6. Data Controller. For the purposes of the Study, Olema shall be the data controller (as defined in GDPR) and is solely responsible for adherence to all data protection laws, as they relate to the Study. In particular:
16.6.1 Olema shall not provide to Novartis any Personal Data in connection with the Study, including any information that relates to an identified or identifiable person.
16.6.2 Olema shall only provide to Novartis Study Data, or analyses of Clinical Data, in an anonymized form, i.e. having removed all patient identifiers that might have facilitated the tracing or tracking of such data back to an individual patient.
16.6.3 Olema shall ensure that appropriate informed consent and authorization has been obtained from all patients whose data is included in the Clinical Data for, amongst other things, the collection, storage, processing and sharing of their data for the purpose of the Study.
16.6.4 Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Article 16, if, in Novartis’ opinion, it should become necessary for Olema to share with Novartis any Personal Data in connection with the Study, the Parties shall, as soon as reasonably practicable, negotiate in good faith, and enter into the Data Sharing Agreement.
ARTICLE 17. MISCELLANEOUS
Section 17.1. Use of Name. Except as expressly provided herein, neither Party shall have any right, express or implied, to use in any manner the name (alone or as part of another name) or other designation of the other Party or any other trade name, trademark, logo, marks or other words, names, symbols or of the other Party for any purpose in connection with the performance of this Agreement.
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These restrictions shall not apply to any information required by law to be disclosed to any governmental entity.
Section 17.2. Force Majeure. If in the performance of this Agreement, one of the Parties is prevented, hindered or delayed by reason of any cause beyond such Party’s reasonable control (e.g., war, fire, widespread disease or pandemic (such as COVID-19), acts of governmental authorities (such as quarantines or business shutdowns or other limitations on business operations, or other laws, regulations or orders to address other events or circumstances that would be a Force Majeure under this Agreement), civil commotion (such as riots or protests), cyber-attacks (such as hacking, viruses, ransomware or other compromises to IT systems), strikes, governmental laws), such Party shall be excused from performance to the extent that it is necessarily prevented, hindered or delayed (“Force Majeure”). The non-performing Party will notify the other Party of such Force Majeure within [***] after such occurrence by giving written notice to the other Party stating the nature of the event, its anticipated duration, and any action being taken to avoid or minimize its effect. The suspension of performance will be of no greater scope and no longer duration than is necessary and the non-performing Party will use commercially reasonable efforts to remedy its inability to perform.
Section 17.3. Entire Agreement; Modification. The Parties agree to the full and complete performance of the mutual covenants contained in this Agreement. This Agreement constitutes the sole, full and complete agreement by and between the Parties with respect to the subject matter of this Agreement, and all prior agreements, understandings, promises and representations, whether written or oral, with respect thereto are superseded by this Agreement, including the CDA. No amendments, changes, additions, deletions or modifications to or of this Agreement shall be valid unless reduced to writing and signed by the Parties hereto.
Section 17.4. Prevailing Terms.
17.4.1 If there is a conflict between this Agreement, including the exhibits and appendices attached hereto, and the Pharmacovigilance Agreement, the terms of this Agreement shall prevail and govern except to the extent such inconsistent term relates directly to the pharmacovigilance responsibilities of the Parties (including the exchange of safety data), in which case the terms of the Pharmacovigilance Agreement shall prevail and govern.
17.4.2 If there is a conflict between this agreement, including the exhibits and appendices attached hereto, and the Quality Agreement, the Quality Agreement shall prevail.
17.4.3 If there is a conflict between this agreement, including the exhibits and appendices attached hereto, and the Data Sharing Agreement, the Data Sharing Agreement shall prevail.
Section 17.5. Assignment and Sub-Contracting. Neither Party shall assign or transfer its rights or obligations under this Agreement in part or in whole without the prior written consent of the other Party; provided, however, that, subject to Article 6 and Section 7.9, (a) either Party may assign this Agreement to (i) one or more of its Affiliates, (ii) a Third Party that merges with, consolidates with or acquires substantially all of the assets or voting control of the assigning Party, or (iii) to a Third Party that acquires all the rights of the assigning Party to the Olema Compound, in the case of Olema, or the Novartis Compound, in the case of Novartis; and (b) any and all rights and obligations of either Party may be exercised or performed by its Affiliates, provided that such Affiliates agree to be bound by this Agreement.
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If this Agreement is assigned or transferred to an Affiliate, the assigning/transferring Party shall remain jointly and severally liable with the assignee/transferee Affiliate for the assigned rights and obligations. Any assignment or attempted assignment by any Party in violation of the terms of this Section 17.5 shall be null and void and of no legal effect.
Section 17.6. Invalid Provision. If any provision of this Agreement is held to be illegal, invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions shall remain in full force and effect and will not be affected by the illegal, invalid or unenforceable provision. In lieu of the illegal, invalid or unenforceable provision, the Parties shall negotiate in good faith to agree upon a reasonable provision that is legal, valid and enforceable to carry out as nearly as practicable the original intention of the entire Agreement.
Section 17.7. No Additional Obligations. Olema and Novartis have no obligation to renew this Agreement or apply this Agreement to any clinical trial other than the Study.
Section 17.8. Dispute Resolution and Jurisdiction.
17.8.1 The Parties shall attempt in good faith to resolve all claims, disputes or controversies, whether statutory or sounding in tort, contract or equitable principles, arising out of, relating to or in any way concerning this Agreement or any term or condition thereof, including with respect to the formation, applicability, breach, termination, validity or enforceability thereof, or the performance by either Party of its obligations hereunder, whether before or after termination of this Agreement (each a “Dispute”), in an amicable manner through the Project Managers or the Alliance Managers (as applicable). If the Project Managers or the Alliance Managers (as applicable) are unable to resolve any ongoing Dispute, then either Party’s Alliance Manager may, by providing written notice to the other Party, have such matter referred to the Executive Officers, who shall attempt in good faith to resolve the Dispute. Any final decision mutually agreed to by the Executive Officers with respect to such Dispute shall be conclusive and binding on the Parties. If no resolution is made by the Executive Officers in good faith negotiations within [***] after such Dispute is referred to them, or such other longer time as the Executive Officers may otherwise agree upon, then [***] Novartis shall have the right to terminate this Agreement with immediate effect and without any liability.
17.8.2 This Agreement and any Dispute shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the substantive laws of the State of New York, without giving effect to its choice of law principles; provided, that the United Nations Convention on Contracts for International Sale of Goods shall not apply. TO THE EXTENT NOT PROHIBITED BY APPLICABLE LAW THAT CANNOT BE WAIVED, THE PARTIES HEREBY WAIVE, AND COVENANT THAT THEY WILL NOT ASSERT (WHETHER AS PLAINTIFF, DEFENDANT OR OTHERWISE), ANY RIGHT TO TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY ACTION ARISING IN WHOLE OR IN PART UNDER OR IN CONNECTION WITH THIS AGREEMENT, WHETHER NOW EXISTING OR HEREAFTER ARISING, AND WHETHER SOUNDING IN CONTRACT, TORT, OR OTHERWISE. THE PARTIES AGREE THAT ANY OF THEM MAY FILE A COPY OF THIS PARAGRAPH WITH ANY COURT AS WRITTEN EVIDENCE OF THE KNOWING, VOLUNTARY AND BARGAINED-FOR AGREEMENT AMONG THE PARTIES IRREVOCABLY TO WAIVE ITS RIGHT TO TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY PROCEEDING WHATSOEVER BETWEEN THEM RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT WILL INSTEAD BE TRIED IN A COURT OF COMPETENT JURISDICTION BY A JUDGE SITTING WITHOUT A JURY.
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17.8.3 Nothing contained in this Agreement shall deny either Party the right to seek injunctive or other equitable relief concerning a Dispute from a court of competent jurisdiction in the context of a bona fide emergency or prospective irreparable harm, and such an action may be filed or maintained notwithstanding any ongoing discussions between the Parties. For the avoidance of doubt, if either Party (a) discloses Confidential Information of the other Party other than as permitted under Article 10, (b) uses (in the case of Olema) the Novartis Compound or Novartis’ Background Intellectual Property or (in the case of Novartis) Letrozole, the Olema Compound or Olema’s Background Intellectual Property in any manner other than as expressly permitted under this Agreement or (c) otherwise is in material breach of this Agreement and such material breach could cause immediate harm to the value of Olema Compound or the Letrozole (if Novartis is in material breach) or the Novartis Compound (if Olema is in material breach), the other Party shall have the right to seek an injunction or other equitable relief precluding the other Party from continuing its activities related to the Study without waiting for the conclusion of the dispute resolution procedures under Section 17.8.1.
Section 17.9. Notices. All notices or other communications that are required or permitted hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been sufficiently given for all purposes if such notice or communication is: (a) delivered personally, or (b) sent by internationally recognized overnight courier. Unless otherwise specified by the relevant Party in writing, the mailing addresses of the Parties shall be as follows:
If to Olema, to:
Olema Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
780 Brannan Street, San Francisco, CA 94103
Attention: [***]
If to Novartis, to:
Novartis Pharma AG
Lichtstrasse 35
CH-4056 Basel, Switzerland
Attention: [***]
With a copy (which shall not constitute notice) to:
Novartis Pharma AG
Lichtstrasse 35
CH-4056 Basel, Switzerland
Attention: [***]
Any notice or communication shall be deemed to have been received when delivered. It is understood and agreed that this Section 17.9 is not intended to govern the day-to-day business communications necessary between the Parties in performing their duties, in due course, under the terms of this Agreement.
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Section 17.10. Relationship of the Parties. The relationship between the Parties is and shall be that of independent contractors, and does not and shall not constitute a partnership, joint venture, agency or fiduciary relationship. Neither Party shall have the authority to make any statements, representations or commitments of any kind, or take any actions, which are binding on the other Party, except with the prior written consent of the other Party to do so. All persons employed by a Party will be the employees of such Party and not of the other Party and all costs and obligations incurred by reason of any such employment shall be for the account and expense of such Party.
Section 17.11. Further Assurances. Each Party shall duly execute and deliver, or cause to be duly executed and delivered, such further instruments and do and cause to be done such further acts and things, including the filing of such assignments, agreements, documents and instruments, as may be necessary or as the other Party may reasonably request in order to perfect any license, assignment or other transfer or any properties or rights under, or pursuant, to this Agreement.
Section 17.12. Extension to Affiliates. Novartis shall have the right to extend the rights, immunities and obligations granted in this Agreement to one or more of its Affiliates. All applicable terms and provisions of this Agreement shall apply to any such Affiliate to which this Agreement has been extended to the same extent as such terms and provisions apply to Novartis. Novartis shall remain primarily liable for any acts or omissions of its Affiliates.
Section 17.13. English Language This Agreement is written and executed in the English language. Any translation into any other language shall not be an official version of this Agreement and, in the event of any conflict in interpretation between the English version and such translation, the English version shall prevail.
Section 17.14. Counterparts and Due Execution. This Agreement may be executed in two (2) or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument. Counterparts may be delivered via electronic mail, including Adobe™ Portable Document Format (PDF) or any electronic signature complying with the U.S. Federal ESIGN Act of 2000, and any counterpart so delivered will be deemed to be original signatures, will be valid and binding upon the Parties, and, upon delivery, will constitute due execution of this Agreement.
[Remainder of page intentionally left blank.]
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the respective authorized representatives of the Parties have executed this Agreement as of the Effective Date.
OLEMA PHARMACEUTICALS INC.
By: /s/ Sean Bohen
Name: Sean Bohen
Title: President and CEO
NOVARTIS PHARMA AG
By: /s/ David Benathan
Name: David Benathan
Title: Authorized Signatory
NOVARTIS PHARMA AG
By: /s/ Ian James Hiscock Appendix A PROTOCOL SYNOPSIS; PROTOCOL
Name: Ian James Hiscock
Title: Authorized Signatory
[***]
Appendix B MINIMUM INFORMATION SECURITY MANAGEMENT STANDARDS Appendix C SUPPLY OF COMPOUNDS
[***]
|
Total Amount |
[***] |
[***] |
[***] |
[***] |
[***] |
Ribo [***] |
[***] |
[***] |
[***] |
[***] |
[***] |
[***] |
Novartis Shipping Address
[***]
Olema Delivery Address
[***]
Appendix D DATA SHARING AGREEMENT Appendix E LIST OF PRE-APPROVED COUNTRIES
[***]
[***]
Exhibit 10.26
[ * ] = CERTAIN CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS DOCUMENT, MARKED BY BRACKETS, HAS BEEN OMITTED BECAUSE IT IS BOTH (I) NOT MATERIAL AND (II) IS THE TYPE THAT THE REGISTRANT TREATS AS PRIVATE OR CONFIDENTIAL.
Amendment Number No. 1
to Drug Discovery Collaboration and License Agreement
THIS AMENDMENT NO. 1 (the “Amendment”), is made and entered into as of the date of the last signature below (the “Effective Date”), by and between Olema Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a Delaware corporation with a business address of 780 Brannan Street, San Francisco, CA 94103 (hereinafter “Olema”) and Aurigene Oncology Limited (earlier known as Aurigene Discovery Technologies Limited), a corporation organized under the laws of India, having its principal place of business at 39-40(P), KIADB Industrial Area, Electronics City Phase II, Hosur Road, Bangalore-560100, India (hereinafter “Aurigene”). Olema and Aurigene are sometimes referred to herein individually as a “Party” and collectively as the “Parties.”
RECITALS
WHEREAS, under the terms of the Drug Discovery Collaboration and License Agreement (the “Agreement”), dated June 7, 2022, by and between the Parties, the Parties desired to pursue a collaborative research program more particularly described in the Agreement; and
WHEREAS, the Parties hereto wish to amend the Agreement and they desire to memorialize such changes in this Amendment No. 1;
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the following mutual promises, covenants and conditions hereinafter set forth, the Parties hereto agree as follows:
If to Olema: Olema Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
780 Brannan Street
San Francisco, CA 94103
Attention: Legal Department
Phone: [ * ]
Email: [ * ]
[ * ] = CERTAIN CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS DOCUMENT, MARKED BY BRACKETS, HAS BEEN OMITTED BECAUSE IT IS BOTH (I) NOT MATERIAL AND (II) IS THE TYPE THAT THE REGISTRANT TREATS AS PRIVATE OR CONFIDENTIAL.
If to Aurigene: Aurigene Oncology Limited
39-40(P), KIADB Industrial Area,
Electronics City Phase 2, Hosur Road
Bangalore - 560100 Karnataka India
Attn: Chief Executive Officer
Email: [ * ]
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Parties have executed this Amendment as of the Effective Date.
OLEMA PHARMACEUTICALS, INC. AURIGENE ONCOLOGY LIMITED
By: /s/ Sean Bohen |
|
By: /s/ Murali Ramachandra |
Print Name: Sean Bohen |
|
Print Name: Murali Ramachandra |
Title: Chief Executive Officer |
|
Title: Chief Executive Officer |
Date: 5/2/2024 |
|
Date: 5/2/2024 |
Exhibit 10.27
[ * ] = CERTAIN CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS DOCUMENT, MARKED BY BRACKETS, HAS BEEN OMITTED BECAUSE IT IS BOTH (I) NOT MATERIAL AND (II) IS THE TYPE THAT THE REGISTRANT TREATS AS PRIVATE OR CONFIDENTIAL.
Amendment Number No. 2
to Drug Discovery Collaboration and License Agreement
THIS AMENDMENT NO. 2 (the “Amendment”), is made and entered into as of the date of the last signature below (the “Effective Date”), by and between Olema Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a Delaware corporation with a business address of 780 Brannan Street, San Francisco, CA 94103 (hereinafter “Olema”) and Aurigene Oncology Limited (earlier known as Aurigene Discovery Technologies Limited), a corporation organized under the laws of India, having its principal place of business at 39-40(P), KIADB Industrial Area, Electronics City Phase II, Hosur Road, Bangalore-560100, India (hereinafter “Aurigene”). Olema and Aurigene are sometimes referred to herein individually as a “Party” and collectively as the “Parties.”
RECITALS
WHEREAS, under the terms of the Drug Discovery Collaboration and License Agreement (the “Agreement”), dated June 7, 2022, by and between the Parties, the Parties desired to pursue a collaborative research program more particularly described in the Agreement; and
WHEREAS, the Parties hereto wish to amend the Agreement and they desire to memorialize such changes in this Amendment No. 2;
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the following mutual promises, covenants and conditions hereinafter set forth, the Parties hereto agree as follows:
{signature page follows}
[ * ] = CERTAIN CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS DOCUMENT, MARKED BY BRACKETS, HAS BEEN OMITTED BECAUSE IT IS BOTH (I) NOT MATERIAL AND (II) IS THE TYPE THAT THE REGISTRANT TREATS AS PRIVATE OR CONFIDENTIAL.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Parties have executed this Amendment as of the Effective Date.
OLEMA PHARMACEUTICALS, INC. AURIGENE ONCOLOGY LIMITED
By: /s/ Sean Bohen |
|
By: /s/ Murali Ramachandra |
Print Name: Sean Bohen |
|
Print Name: Murali Ramachandra |
Title: CEO and President |
|
Title: Chief Executive Officer |
Date: 11/15/2024 |
|
Date: 11/7/2024 |
EXHIBIT 19.1
Olema Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Insider Trading Policy
During the course of your relationship with Olema Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (the “Company”), you may receive material information that is not yet public (“material nonpublic information”) about the Company or about other publicly traded companies with which the Company has business relationships. Material nonpublic information may give you, or someone you pass that information on to, a leg up over others when deciding whether to buy, sell or otherwise transact in the Company’s securities or the securities of another publicly traded company. This policy sets forth guidelines with respect to transactions in the Company’s securities by our directors, officers, other employees and consultants who are advised that they are subject to this policy and who may become aware of material nonpublic information (“designated consultants”) and the other persons subject to this policy as described below.
It is the policy of the Company that an employee, director or designated consultant of the Company (or any other person subject to this policy) who is aware of material nonpublic information relating to the Company may not, directly or indirectly:
The prohibition against insider trading is absolute. It applies even if the decision to trade is not based on such material nonpublic information. It also applies to transactions that may be necessary or justifiable for independent reasons (such as the need to raise money for an emergency expenditure) and also to very small transactions. All that matters is whether you are aware of any material nonpublic information relating to the Company at the time of the transaction.
The U.S. federal securities laws do not recognize any mitigating circumstances to insider trading. In addition, even the appearance of an improper transaction must be avoided to preserve the Company’s reputation for adhering to the highest standards of conduct. In some circumstances, you may need to forgo a planned transaction even if you planned it before becoming aware of the material nonpublic information. So, even if you believe you may suffer an economic loss or sacrifice an anticipated profit by waiting to trade, you must wait.
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It is also important to note that the laws prohibiting insider trading are not limited to trading by the insider alone; advising others to trade on the basis of material nonpublic information is illegal and squarely prohibited by this policy. Liability in such cases can extend both to the “tippee,” the person to whom the insider disclosed material nonpublic information, and to the “tipper,” the insider himself or herself. In such cases, you can be held liable for your own transactions, as well as the transactions by a tippee and even the transactions of a tippee’s tippee. For these and other reasons, it is the policy of the Company that no employee, director or designated consultant of the Company (or any other person subject to this policy) may either (a) recommend to another person that they buy, hold, or sell the Company’s securities at any time or (b) disclose material nonpublic information to persons within the Company whose jobs do not require them to have that information, or outside of the Company to other persons (unless the disclosure is made in accordance with the Company’s policies regarding the protection or authorized external disclosure of information regarding the Company).
In addition, it is the policy of the Company that no employee, director or designated consultant of the Company (or any other person subject to this policy) who, in the course of working for the Company, learns of or is otherwise aware of material nonpublic information about another publicly traded company with which the Company does business, including a supplier, partner or collaborator of the Company, may trade in that company’s securities until the information becomes public or is no longer material.
There are no exceptions to this policy, except as specifically noted above or below.
This policy applies to all transactions in securities issued by the Company, as well as derivative securities that are not issued by the Company, such as exchange-traded put or call options or swaps relating to the Company’s securities. Accordingly, for purposes of this policy, the terms “trade,” “trading,” and “transactions” include not only purchases and sales of the Company’s common stock in the public market but also any other purchases, sales, transfers, or other acquisitions and dispositions of common or preferred equity, options, warrants, and other securities (including debt securities) and other arrangements or transactions that affect economic exposure to changes in the prices of these securities.
This policy applies to you and all other employees, directors, officers and designated consultants of the Company and its subsidiaries. This policy also applies to persons with whom you share a household, persons who are your economic dependents, and any other individuals or entities whose transactions in securities you influence, direct, or control (including, e.g., a venture or other investment fund, if you influence, direct, or control transactions by the fund). However, this policy does not apply to any entity that invests in securities in the ordinary course of its business (e.g., a venture or other investment fund) if (and only if) such entity has established and certified to the Company that it has its own insider trading controls and procedures in compliance with applicable securities laws with respect to trading in the Company’s securities. The foregoing persons who are deemed subject to this policy are referred to in this policy as “Related Persons.” You are responsible for making sure that your Related Persons comply with this policy.
It is not always easy to figure out whether you are aware of material nonpublic information. But there is one important factor to determine whether nonpublic information you know about a public company is material: whether the information could be expected to affect the market price of that company’s securities or to be considered important by investors who are considering trading that company’s securities. If the information makes you want to trade, it would probably have the same effect on others. Keep in mind that both positive and negative information can be material.
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There is no bright-line standard for assessing materiality; rather, materiality is based on an assessment of all of the facts and circumstances, and is often evaluated by relevant enforcement authorities with the benefit of hindsight. If you possess material nonpublic information, you may not trade in a company’s stock, advise anyone else to do so or communicate the information to anyone else until you know that the information has been publicly disseminated, as described below. This means that in some circumstances, you may have to forego a proposed transaction in a company’s securities even if you planned to execute the transaction prior to learning of the inside information and even though you believe you may suffer an economic loss or sacrifice an anticipated profit by waiting. “Trading” includes engaging in short sales, transactions in put or call options, hedging transactions and other inherently speculative transactions.
You may not participate in “chat rooms” or other electronic discussion groups or contribute to blogs, bulletin boards or social media forums on the internet concerning the activities of the Company or other companies with which the Company does business, even if you do so anonymously, unless doing so is part of your job responsibilities and you have explicit authorization from the individual designated by the Company’s board of directors as the clearing officer or his or her designee (each, a “Clearing Officer”). The Clearing Officer shall initially be the Chief Legal Officer of the Company. In the future, we may appoint another senior officer as the Clearing Officer.
Although by no means an all-inclusive list, information about the following items may be considered to be material nonpublic information until it is publicly disseminated:
3
When information is considered public
The prohibition on trading when you have material nonpublic information lifts once that information becomes publicly disseminated. But for information to be considered publicly disseminated, it must be widely disseminated through a press release, a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), or other widely disseminated announcement. Once information is publicly disseminated, it is still necessary to afford the investing public with sufficient time to absorb the information. Generally speaking, information will be considered publicly disseminated for purposes of this policy only after two full trading days have elapsed since the information was publicly disclosed. For example, if we announce material nonpublic information before trading begins on Wednesday, then you may execute a transaction in our securities on Friday; if we announce material nonpublic information after trading ends on Wednesday, then you may execute a transaction in our securities on Monday (in each case subject to any pre-clearance requirements set forth in this policy). Depending on the particular circumstances, the Company may determine that a longer or shorter waiting period should apply to the release of specific material nonpublic information.
Pre-Clearance and Advance Notice of Transactions
All directors, officers and other employees with the title of Vice President or above (collectively “Senior Employees and Directors”) are required notify and receive approval from a Clearing Officer prior to engaging in transactions in the Company’s securities and observe other restrictions designed to minimize the risk of apparent or actual insider trading as set forth in Section IX. From time to time, we may also require that certain persons limit their transactions in the Company’s securities to certain trading window periods or require persons subject to this policy to obtain pre-clearance as described below.
Trading Window Period and Trading Blackout Period
From time to time, the Company may generally prohibit directors, employees and designated consultants from being or selling securities outside of a time period the Company designates as an open trading window (such period when trading is allowed is referred to as a “trading window period” and such period when trading is not allowed is referred to as a “trading blackout period”). As of the effective date of this policy, the Company has not instituted a trading window period. In the event the Company institutes a trading window period after the effective date of this policy, directors, employees and designated consultants will additionally be subject to the requirements of this paragraph.
In the event the Company institutes a trading window period, except as set forth in this paragraph and in Section VII of this policy, directors, officers, other employees and designated consultants may buy or sell securities of the Company only during a window period that opens after two full trading days have elapsed after the public dissemination of the Company’s annual or quarterly financial results and closes on the last trading day a set number of weeks before the end of the quarter.
4
This window period may be closed early or may not open if, in the judgment of the Clearing Officer, there exists undisclosed information that would make trades inappropriate. In addition to a trading window period, the Company may close the trading window at any time and for any duration pending public release of material news. It is important to note that the fact that the trading window is closed should itself be considered inside information. An employee or director who believes that special circumstances require him or her to trade during a closing trading window should consult with the Clearing Officer. Permission to trade during a closed trading window will be granted only where the circumstances are extenuating and there appears to be no significant risk that the trade may subsequently be questioned.
This policy does not apply in the case of the following transactions, except as specifically noted:
5
In addition to the requirements listed above, Senior Employees and Directors may not engage in any transaction in the Company’s securities, including any purchase or sale in the open market, loan or other transfer of beneficial ownership, without first obtaining pre-clearance of the transaction from the Clearing Officer at least two business days in advance of the proposed transaction. The Clearing Officer will then determine whether the transaction may proceed and, if so, will direct the Compliance Officer (as identified in the Company’s Section 16 Compliance Program) to assist, if applicable, in complying with the reporting requirements under Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act, if any.
6
Pre-cleared transactions not completed within five business days shall require new pre-clearance under the provisions of this paragraph. The Company may, at its discretion, shorten such period of time.
Advance notice of an intent to exercise an outstanding stock option by directors and executive officers of the Company shall be given to the Clearing Officer. Upon completion of any transaction, the director or executive officer must immediately notify the Compliance Officer and any other individual(s) identified in Section 1 of the Company’s Section 16 Compliance Program so that the Company may assist in any Section 16 reporting obligations.
Officers and directors subject to the reporting obligations under Section 16 of the Exchange Act should take care to avoid short-swing transactions (within the meaning of Section 16(b) of the Exchange Act) and the restrictions on sales by control persons (Rule 144 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended), and should file all appropriate Section 16(a) reports (Forms 3, 4, and 5), which are described in the Company’s Section 16 Compliance Program, and any notices of sale required by Rule 144.
No director or executive officer of the Company may, directly or indirectly, purchase, sell or otherwise transfer any equity security of the Company (other than an exempt security) during any “blackout period’’ (as defined in Regulation BTR under the Exchange Act) if a director or executive officer acquires or previously acquired such equity security in connection with his or her service or employment as a director or executive officer. This prohibition does not apply to any transactions that are specifically exempted, including but not limited to, purchases or sales of the Company’s securities made pursuant to, and in compliance with, a Trading Plan; compensatory grants or awards of equity securities pursuant to a plan that, by its terms, permits executive officers and directors to receive automatic grants or awards and specifies the terms of the grants and awards; or acquisitions or dispositions of equity securities involving a bona fide gift or by will or the laws of descent or pursuant to a domestic relations order. The Company will notify each director and executive officer of any blackout periods in accordance with the provisions of Regulation BTR. Because Regulation BTR is very complex, no director or executive officer of the Company should engage in any transactions in the Company’s securities, even if believed to be exempt from Regulation BTR, without first consulting with the Company’s Clearing Officer (or the Company’s Chief Legal Officer or General Counsel if he/she is not the Clearing Officer).
This policy continues to apply to your transactions in the Company’s securities or the securities of other public companies engaged in business transactions with the Company even after your relationship with the Company has ended. If you are aware of material nonpublic information when your relationship with the Company ends, you may not trade the Company’s securities or the securities of other applicable companies until the material nonpublic information has been publicly disseminated or is no longer material. Further, if you leave the Company during a trading blackout period, then you may not trade in the Company’s securities or the securities of other applicable companies until the trading blackout period has ended.
Persons subject to this policy have ethical and legal obligations to maintain the confidentiality of information about the Company and to not engage in transactions in the Company’s securities while aware of material nonpublic information.
7
Each individual is responsible for making sure that he or she complies with this policy, and that any family member, household member, or other person or entity whose transactions are subject to this policy, as discussed under the heading “Persons Subject to this Policy” above, also comply with this policy. In all cases, the responsibility for determining whether an individual is aware of material nonpublic information rests with that individual, and any action on the part of the Company or any employee or director of the Company pursuant to this policy (or otherwise) does not in any way constitute legal advice or insulate an individual from liability under applicable securities laws. You could be subject to severe legal penalties and disciplinary action by the Company for any conduct prohibited by this policy or applicable securities laws. See “Penalties” below.
Anyone who engages in insider trading or otherwise violates this policy may be subject to both civil liability and criminal penalties. Violators also risk disciplinary action by the Company, including termination of employment. Anyone who has questions about this policy should contact their own attorney or the Company’s Clearing Officer (or the Company’s Chief Legal Officer or General Counsel if he/she is not the Clearing Officer) or another member of the Company’s Legal Department at legal@olema.com for clearance on trading and compliance@olema.com for compliance issues. Please also see Frequently Asked Questions, which are attached as Exhibit A.
The Company is committed to continuously reviewing and updating its policies and procedures. The Company therefore reserves the right to amend, alter or terminate this policy at any time and for any reason. A current copy of the Company’s policies regarding insider trading may be obtained by contacting the Compliance Officer at compliance@olema.com.
Adopted by the Board of Directors: October 30, 2020
Effective: November 18, 2020
Amended by the Board of Directors: March 9, 2022
8
Exhibit A
Insider Trading Policy
Frequently Asked Questions
Generally speaking, insider trading is the buying or selling of stocks, bonds, futures, or other securities by someone who possesses or is otherwise aware of material nonpublic information about the securities or the issuer of the securities. Insider trading also includes trading in related financial instruments, including derivatives (such as put or call options) where the price is linked to the underlying price of a company’s stock. It does not matter whether the decision to buy or sell was influenced by the material nonpublic information, how many shares you buy or sell, or whether it has an effect on the stock price. Bottom line: If you are aware of material nonpublic information about the Company or another publicly traded company that Company has business relationships with and you trade in the Company’s or such other company’s securities, you have broken the law.
If company insiders are able to use their confidential knowledge to their financial advantage, other investors would not have confidence in the fairness and integrity of the market. This ensures that there is an even playing field by requiring those who are aware of material nonpublic information to refrain from trading.
Information is material if it would influence a reasonable investor to buy or sell a stock, bond future, related financial instruments or other securities. This could mean many things: financial results, clinical or regulatory results, potential acquisitions, or major contracts to name just a few. Information is nonpublic if it has not yet been publicly disseminated within the meaning of our insider trading policy.
Anyone who buys or sells a security or related financial instrument while aware of material nonpublic information, or provides material nonpublic information that someone else uses to buy or sell a security or related financial instrument, may be guilty of insider trading. This applies to all individuals, including officers, directors, and others who don’t even work at Company. Regardless of who you are, if you know something material about the value of a security that not everyone knows and you trade (or convince someone else to trade) in that security or related financial instrument, you may be found guilty of insider trading.
Yes, please contact the Compliance Officer to obtain a copy.
The same rules apply to U.S. and foreign employees and designated consultants. The Securities and Exchange Commission (the U.S. government agency in charge of investor protection) and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (a private regulator that oversees U.S. securities exchanges) routinely investigate trading in a company’s securities conducted by individuals and firms based abroad.
1.
In addition, as a Company director, employee, or designated consultant, our policies apply to you no matter where you work.
That is called “tipping.” You are the “tipper” and the other person is called the “tippee.” If the tippee buys or sells based on that material nonpublic information, both you and the “tippee” could be found guilty of insider trading. In fact, if you tell family members who tell others and those people then trade on the information, those family members and the “tippee” might be found guilty of insider trading too. To prevent this, you may not discuss material nonpublic information about the company with anyone outside the Company, including spouses, family members, friends, or business associates (unless the disclosure is made in accordance with the Company’s policies regarding the protection or authorized external disclosure of information regarding the Company). This includes anonymous discussions on the internet about the Company or companies with which the Company does business.
That is still tipping, and you can still be responsible for insider trading. You may never recommend to another person that they buy, hold or sell the Company’s common stock or any derivative security or related financial instruments related to the Company’s common stock, since that could be a form of tipping.
In addition to disciplinary action by the Company—which may include termination of employment—you may be liable for civil sanctions for trading on material nonpublic information. The sanctions may include return of any profit made or loss avoided as well as penalties of up to three times any profit made or any loss avoided. Persons found liable for tipping material nonpublic information, even if they did not trade themselves, may be liable for the amount of any profit gained or loss avoided by everyone in the chain of tippees as well as a penalty of up to three times that amount. In addition, anyone convicted of criminal insider trading could face prison and additional fines.
If you sell common stock or related financial instrument before negative news is publicly announced, and as a result of the announcement the stock price declines, you have avoided the loss caused by the negative news.
Possibly. U.S. insider trading laws generally restrict everyone aware of material nonpublic information about a company from trading in that company’s securities, regardless of whether the person is directly connected with that company, except in limited circumstances. Therefore, if you have material nonpublic information about another company, you should not trade in that company’s securities. You should be particularly conscious of this restriction if, through your position at the Company, you sometimes obtain sensitive, material information about other companies and their business dealings with the Company.
2.
Not necessarily. Even if you do not violate U.S. law, you may still violate our policies. For example, employees and designated consultants may violate our policies by breaching their confidentiality obligations or by recommending the Company stock as an investment, even if these actions do not violate securities laws. Our policies are stricter than the law requires so that we and our employees and designated consultants can avoid even the appearance of wrongdoing. Therefore, please review the entire policy carefully.
If you are aware of material nonpublic information, you may not buy or sell our common stock until two (2) full trading days have elapsed since the information was publicly disclosed. At that point, the information is considered publicly disseminated for purposes of our insider trading policy. For example, if we announce material nonpublic information before trading begins on Wednesday, then you may execute a transaction in our securities on Friday; if we announce material nonpublic information after trading ends on Wednesday, then you may execute a transaction in our securities on Monday (in each case subject to any pre-clearance requirements set forth in this policy). Even if you are not aware of any material nonpublic information, you may not trade our common stock during any trading “blackout” period. And finally, all Senior Employees and Directors must pre-clear any purchases or sales of stock with the Clearing Officer two business days in advance of the proposed transaction as set forth in Section IX.
No, unless it is in connection with a 10b5-1 trading plan (see Question 27 below). If you have any open orders when a blackout period commences other than in connection with a 10b5-1 trading plan, it is your responsibility to cancel these orders with your broker. If you have an open order and it executes after a blackout period commences not in connection with a 10b5-1 trading plan, you will have violated our insider trading policy and may also have violated insider trading laws.
No. Under our policies, you may not trade in derivative securities related to our common stock, which include publicly traded call and put options. In addition, under our policies, you may not engage in short selling of our common stock at any time.
“Derivative securities” are securities other than common stock that are speculative in nature because they permit a person to leverage their investment using a relatively small amount of money. Examples of derivative securities include “put options” and “call options.” These are different from employee options and other equity awards granted under our equity compensation plans, which are not derivative securities for purposes of this policy.
“Short selling” is profiting when you expect the price of the stock to decline, and includes transactions in which you borrow stock from a broker, sell it, and eventually buy it back on the market to return the borrowed shares to the broker. Profit is realized if the stock price decreases during the period of borrowing.
Many companies with volatile stock prices have adopted similar policies because of the temptation it represents to try to benefit from a relatively low-cost method of trading on short-term swings in stock prices, without actually holding the underlying common stock, and encourages speculative trading. We are dedicated to building stockholder value, short selling our common stock conflicts with our values and would not be well received by our stockholders.
3.
No. Under our policies, you may not purchase our common stock on margin or hold it in a margin account at any time.
“Purchasing on margin” is the use of borrowed money from a brokerage firm to purchase our securities. Holding our securities in a margin account includes holding the securities in an account in which the shares can be sold to pay a loan to the brokerage firm.
Margin loans are subject to a margin call whether or not you possess material nonpublic information at the time of the call. If a margin call were to be made at a time when you were aware of material nonpublic information and you could not or did not supply other collateral, you may be liable under insider trading laws because of the sale of the securities (through the margin call). The sale would be attributed to you even though the lender made the ultimate determination to sell. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission takes the view that you made the determination to not supply the additional collateral and you are therefore responsible for the sale.
A: No. Pledging your shares as collateral for a personal loan could cause the pledgee to transfer your shares during a trading blackout period or when you are otherwise aware of material nonpublic information. As a result, you may not pledge your shares as collateral for a loan.
No. Hedging or monetization transactions, including through the use of financial instruments such as prepaid variable forwards, equity swaps, collars, and exchange funds are prohibited by our insider trading policy. Since such hedging transactions allow you to continue to own the Company’s securities obtained through employee benefit plans or otherwise, but without the full risks and rewards of ownership, you may no longer have the same objectives as the Company’s other stockholders. Therefore, our insider trading policy prohibits you from engaging in any such transactions.
Yes. You may exercise the options for cash (or via net exercise transaction with the company) and receive shares, but you may not sell the shares (even to pay the exercise price or any taxes due) during a trading blackout period or any time that you are aware of material nonpublic information. To be clear, you may not effect a broker-assisted cashless exercise (these cashless exercise transactions include a market sale) during a trading blackout period or any time that you are aware of material nonpublic information It depends.
4.
If your employment with the Company ends during a trading blackout period, you will be subject to the remainder of that trading blackout period. If your employment with the Company ends on a day that the trading window is open, you will not be subject to the next trading blackout period. However, even if you are not subject to our trading blackout period after you leave the Company, you should not trade in Company securities if you are aware of material nonpublic information. That restriction stays with you as long as the information you possess is material and not publicly disseminated within the meaning of our insider trading policy.
It depends. Because of the potential for the appearance of impropriety, you may only make bona fide gifts of our common stock when you are aware of material nonpublic information or during a trading blackout period if (and only if) the gift has been pre-cleared by the Company’s Clearing Officer or his or her designee. Whether a gift is truly bona fide will depend on the facts and circumstances surrounding each gift. Pre-clearance will not be given for gifts occurring during a blackout period if the recipient could reasonably be expected to sell Company securities into the public market during the blackout period during which the gift is made (e.g., a donation to a charitable organization).
The same rules apply as for employee stock options. You may exercise the publicly traded options at any time, but you may not sell the securities during a trading blackout period or at any time that you are aware of material nonpublic information.
Yes.
No. You may trade in mutual funds holding the Company’s common stock at any time.
Yes, subject to the requirements discussed in our insider trading policy and any 10b5-1 trading plan guidelines. A routine trading program, also known as a 10b5-1 plan, allows you to set up a highly structured program with your stock broker where you specify ahead of time the date, price, and amount of securities to be traded. If you wish to create a 10b5-1 plan, please contact our Clearing Officer, the Chief Legal Officer of the Company, for approval.
Violating our policies may result in disciplinary action, which may include termination of your employment or other relationship with the Company. In addition, you may be subject to criminal and civil sanctions.
5.
You should contact our Clearing Officer, the Company’s Chief Legal Officer, or another member of the Legal Department.
6.
Olema Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Insider Trading Policy
Certification
To: Olema Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
I, ________________________, have received and read a copy of the Olema Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Insider Trading Policy. I hereby agree to comply with the specific requirements of the policy in all respects during my employment or other service relationship with Olema Pharmaceuticals, Inc. I understand that this policy constitutes a material term of my employment or other service relationship with Olema Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (or a subsidiary thereof) and that my failure to comply in all respects with the policy is a basis for termination for cause.
(Signature)
(Name)
(Date)
7.
Exhibit 21.1
Olema Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Subsidiaries
Name of Subsidiary |
Jurisdiction of Incorporation |
Olema Oncology Australia PTY LTD |
Australia |
EXHIBIT 23.1
Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
We consent to the incorporation by reference in the following Registration Statements:
of our report dated March 18, 2025, with respect to the consolidated financial statements of Olema Pharmaceuticals, Inc. included in this Annual Report (Form 10-K) of Olema Pharmaceuticals, Inc. for the year ended December 31, 2024.
/s/ Ernst & Young LLP
Iselin, New Jersey
March 18, 2025
Exhibit 31.1
CERTIFICATION OF PRINCIPAL EXECUTIVE OFFICER PURSUANT TO
RULES 13a-14(a) AND 15d-14(a) UNDER THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934,
AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO SECTION 302 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002
I, Sean Bohen, M.D., Ph.D., certify that:
Date: March 18, 2025 |
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By: |
/s/ Sean Bohen, M.D., Ph.D. |
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Sean Bohen, M.D., Ph.D. |
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President and Chief Executive Officer (Principal Executive Officer) |
Exhibit 31.2
CERTIFICATION OF PRINCIPAL FINANCIAL OFFICER PURSUANT TO
RULES 13a-14(a) AND 15d-14(a) UNDER THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934,
AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO SECTION 302 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002
I, Shane Kovacs, certify that:
Ebruary 28 |
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Date: March 18, 2025 |
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By: |
/s/ Shane Kovacs |
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Shane Kovacs |
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Chief Operating and Financial Officer (Principal Financial and Accounting Officer) |
Exhibit 32.1
CERTIFICATION OF PRINCIPAL EXECUTIVE OFFICER PURSUANT TO
18 U.S.C. SECTION 1350, AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO
SECTION 906 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002
In connection with the Annual Report of Olema Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (the “Company”) on Form 10-K for the period ended December 31, 2024 as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on the date hereof (the “Report”), I certify, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 1350, as adopted pursuant to § 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, that:
ebrua |
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Date: March 18, 2025 |
By: |
/s/ Sean Bohen, M.D., Ph.D. |
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Sean Bohen, M.D., Ph.D. |
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President and Chief Executive Officer |
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(Principal Executive Officer) |
Exhibit 32.2
CERTIFICATION OF PRINCIPAL FINANCIAL OFFICER PURSUANT TO
18 U.S.C. SECTION 1350, AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO
SECTION 906 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002
In connection with the Annual Report of Olema Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (the “Company”) on Form 10-K for the period ended December 31, 2024 as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on the date hereof (the “Report”), I certify, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 1350, as adopted pursuant to § 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, that:
ebrua |
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Date: March 18, 2025 |
By: |
/s/ Shane Kovacs |
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Shane Kovacs |
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Chief Operating and Financial Officer |
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(Principal Financial and Accounting Officer) |
Exhibit 97.1
Olema Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Incentive Compensation Recoupment Policy
The Compensation Committee (the “Compensation Committee”) of the Board of Directors (the “Board”) of Olema Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), has determined that it is in the best interests of the Company and its stockholders to adopt this Incentive Compensation Recoupment Policy (this “Policy”) providing for the Company’s recoupment of Recoverable Incentive Compensation that is received by Covered Officers of the Company under certain circumstances. Certain capitalized terms used in this Policy have the meanings given to such terms in Section 3 below.
This Policy is designed to comply with, and shall be interpreted to be consistent with, Section 10D of the Exchange Act, Rule 10D-1 promulgated thereunder (“Rule 10D-1”) and Nasdaq Listing Rule 5608 (the “Listing Standards”).
This Policy shall apply to all Incentive Compensation that is received by a Covered Officer on or after October 2, 2023 (the “Effective Date”). Incentive Compensation is deemed “received” in the Company’s fiscal period in which the Financial Reporting Measure specified in the Incentive Compensation award is attained, even if the payment or grant of such Incentive Compensation occurs after the end of that period.
“Accounting Restatement” means an accounting restatement that the Company is required to prepare due to the material noncompliance of the Company with any financial reporting requirement under the securities laws, including any required accounting restatement to correct an error in previously issued financial statements that is material to the previously issued financial statements, or that would result in a material misstatement if the error were corrected in the current period or left uncorrected in the current period.
“Accounting Restatement Date” means the earlier to occur of (a) the date that the Board, a committee of the Board authorized to take such action, or the officer or officers of the Company authorized to take such action if Board action is not required, concludes, or reasonably should have concluded, that the Company is required to prepare an Accounting Restatement, or (b) the date that a court, regulator or other legally authorized body directs the Company to prepare an Accounting Restatement.
“Administrator” means the Compensation Committee or, in the absence of such committee, the Board.
“Code” means the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and the regulations promulgated thereunder.
“Covered Officer” means each current and former Executive Officer.
“Exchange” means the Nasdaq Stock Market.
“Exchange Act” means the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
“Executive Officer” means the Company’s president, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer (or if there is no such accounting officer, the controller), any vice-president of the Company in charge of a principal business unit, division, or function (such as sales, administration, or finance), any other officer who performs a policy-making function, or any other person who performs similar policy-making functions for the Company. Executive officers of the Company’s parent(s) or subsidiaries are deemed executive officers of the Company if they perform such policy-making functions for the Company. Policy-making function is not intended to include policy-making functions that are not significant. Identification of an executive officer for purposes of this Policy would include at a minimum executive officers identified pursuant to Item 401(b) of Regulation S-K promulgated under the Exchange Act.
“Financial Reporting Measures” means measures that are determined and presented in accordance with the accounting principles used in preparing the Company’s financial statements, and any measures derived wholly or in part from such measures, including Company stock price and total stockholder return (“TSR”). A measure need not be presented in the Company’s financial statements or included in a filing with the SEC in order to be a Financial Reporting Measure.
“Incentive Compensation” means any compensation that is granted, earned or vested based wholly or in part upon the attainment of a Financial Reporting Measure.
“Lookback Period” means the three completed fiscal years immediately preceding the Accounting Restatement Date, as well as any transition period (resulting from a change in the Company’s fiscal year) within or immediately following those three completed fiscal years (except that a transition period of at least nine months shall count as a completed fiscal year). Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Lookback Period shall not include fiscal years completed prior to the Effective Date.
“Recoverable Incentive Compensation” means Incentive Compensation received by a Covered Officer during the Lookback Period that exceeds the amount of Incentive Compensation that would have been received had such amount been determined based on the Accounting Restatement, computed without regard to any taxes paid (i.e., on a gross basis without regard to tax withholdings and other deductions). For any compensation plans or programs that take into account Incentive Compensation, the amount of Recoverable Incentive Compensation for purposes of this Policy shall include, without limitation, the amount contributed to any notional account based on Recoverable Incentive Compensation and any earnings to date on that notional amount. For any Incentive Compensation that is based on stock price or TSR, where the Recoverable Incentive Compensation is not subject to mathematical recalculation directly from the information in an Accounting Restatement, the Administrator will determine the amount of Recoverable Incentive Compensation based on a reasonable estimate of the effect of the Accounting Restatement on the stock price or TSR upon which the Incentive Compensation was received. The Company shall maintain documentation of the determination of that reasonable estimate and provide such documentation to the Exchange in accordance with the Listing Standards.
“SEC” means the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
2
3
Except as specifically set forth herein, this Policy shall be administered by the Administrator. The Administrator shall have full and final authority to make any and all determinations required under this Policy. Any determination by the Administrator with respect to this Policy shall be final, conclusive and binding on all interested parties and need not be uniform with respect to each individual covered by this Policy. In carrying out the administration of this Policy, the Administrator is authorized and directed to consult with the full Board or such other committees of the Board as may be necessary or appropriate as to matters within the scope of such other committee’s responsibility and authority. Subject to applicable law, the Administrator may authorize and empower any officer or employee of the Company to take any and all actions that the Administrator, in its sole discretion, deems necessary or appropriate to carry out the purpose and intent of this Policy (other than with respect to any recovery under this Policy involving such officer or employee).
If any provision of this Policy or the application of any such provision to a Covered Officer shall be adjudicated to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any respect, such invalidity, illegality or unenforceability shall not affect any other provisions of this Policy, and the invalid, illegal or unenforceable provisions shall be deemed amended to the minimum extent necessary to render any such provision or application enforceable.
Nothing contained in this Policy, and no recoupment or recovery as contemplated herein, shall limit any claims, damages or other legal remedies the Company or any of its affiliates may have against a Covered Officer arising out of or resulting from any actions or omissions by the Covered Officer. This Policy does not preclude the Company from taking any other action to enforce a Covered Officer’s obligations to the Company, including, without limitation, termination of employment and/or institution of civil proceedings. This Policy is in addition to the requirements of Section 304 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 that are applicable to the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer and to any other compensation recoupment policy and/or similar provisions in any employment, equity plan, equity award, or other individual agreement, to which the Company is a party or which the Company has adopted or may adopt and maintain from time to time; provided, however, that compensation recouped pursuant to this Policy shall not be duplicative of compensation recouped pursuant to SOX 304 or any such compensation recoupment policy and/or similar provisions in any such employment, equity plan, equity award, or other individual agreement except as may be required by law.
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The Administrator may amend, terminate or replace this Policy or any portion of this Policy at any time and from time to time in its sole discretion. The Administrator shall amend this Policy as it deems necessary to comply with applicable law or any Listing Standard.
This Policy shall be binding and enforceable against all Covered Officers and, to the extent required by Rule 10D-1 and/or the applicable Listing Standards, their beneficiaries, heirs, executors, administrators or other legal representatives.
10. Required Filings
The Company shall make any disclosures and filings with respect to this Policy that are required by law, including as required by the SEC.
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Olema Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Incentive Compensation Recoupment Policy
Form of Executive Acknowledgment
* * * * * I, the undersigned, agree and acknowledge that I am bound by, and subject to, the Olema Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Incentive Compensation Recoupment Policy, as may be amended, restated, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time (the “Policy”). In the event of any inconsistency between the Policy and the terms of any employment agreement, offer letter or other individual agreement with Olema Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (the “Company”) to which I am a party, or the terms of any compensation plan, program or agreement, whether or not written, under which any compensation has been granted, awarded, earned or paid to me, the terms of the Policy shall govern.
In the event that the Administrator (as defined in the Policy) determines that any compensation granted, awarded, earned or paid to me must be forfeited or reimbursed to the Company pursuant to the Policy, I will promptly take any action necessary to effectuate such forfeiture and/or reimbursement. I further agree and acknowledge that I am not entitled to indemnification, and hereby waive any right to advancement of expenses, in connection with any enforcement of the Policy by the Company.
Agreed and Acknowledged:
Name:
Title:
Date: